Just Stop Oil eco-zealot, 62, faces jail after admitting throwing red paint over the Treasury building and causing £100,000 of damage

A Just Stop Oil protestor is facing jail after admitting to causing over £100,000 of damage to the HM Treasury building by throwing red paint over the masonry.

Piers Clifford, 62, teamed up with Alexia Hall, 37, and Selma Heimedinger, 23 for the stunt which caused £107,750.40 of damage to the masonry of the historic building in Whitehall, according to the charges.

The 62-year-old appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday to offer a revised plea to the charge.

He previously pleaded not guilty to the offence on 10 March 2023 at Westminster Magistrates Court.

His criminal damage charge was put to him by a court clerk, who said: ‘The particulars of the offence are on the 13 June 2022 you, without lawful excuse, damaged 1 Horse Guard road London SW1A 2HQ belonging to government property agency intending to destroy or damage such property, or being reckless as to whether such property would be destroyed or damaged.’

Piers Clifford, 62, faces jail after admitting to causing over a £100k worth of damage to the HM Treasury building in Whitehall during a Just Stop Oil protest

Clifford teamed up with other JSO eco-zealots to spray paint over the masonry of the historic building in Westminster, central London

The stunt cost a total of £107,750.40 in damage to the government building

In response to the charge, Clifford announced: ‘Guilty.’

Judge David Tomlinson told Clifford that he would now be sentenced with his co-defendants Hall and Heimedinger.

He said: ‘Conventionally where more than one defendant is indicted for an offence, we tend to put sentence back for anyone who pleads guilty until the conclusion of the trial of other defendants who have pleaded not guilty.’

The court heard that Hall and Heimedinger will attend a pre-trial review at Southwark Crown Court in September, before facing trial at the same court in January 2025.

Asked by the judge if he would like to proceed with sentencing before then, Clifford – representing himself – answered that he would.

Clifford told the judge that he would like his sentencing expedited, rather than delayed to be with that of his fellow demonstrators who will face trial next January

Staff clear up red paint sprayed by Just Stop Oil activists outside the HM Treasury building

He said: ‘On a personal and emotional basis, the stress of not knowing what’s going to happen makes me unable to really carry on in my life.’

Clifford added that he was in a ‘process of recovery and rehabilitation’ after being ‘involved in Extinction Rebellion and, to a lesser extent, Just Stop Oil for many years.’

The court heard that Clifford is currently homeless and ‘in the process of trying to find somewhere to live in Sheffield.’

Clifford, of no fixed address, admitted one charge of criminal damage to property with a value of over £5000.