Despite being unmarked during the protest, Peach Trees in Blossom’s frame was damaged.
Two people protesting the oil industry were found guilty of causing criminal damage when they glued themselves to a Vincent Van Gogh painting’s frame.
On Monday, 22-year-old Louis McKechnie, who previously lived in Leeds, and 23-year-old Emily Brocklebank of Chorley dropped a large bulb into the flower vase at London’s Courtauld Gallery.
McKechnie spent three weeks in prison for his crime, while Brocklebank was sentenced to a suspended sentence.
She had said “I didn’t think I would cause much damage, but I’m so sorry. The glue comes off.”
Activists have expressed concerns about the future of global warming.
District Judge Neeta Minhas said that the damage caused was “substantial”.
The expert was giving her verdict on an 18th century frame which had been damaged. The frame was not in a state that it could return to its original state, once again.
There is no law that excuses breaking a contract.
The art was told to have significant, historical and art value at a trial for its damage in a frame. The damage is not minor, insignificant, temporary or trivial.
In addressing the defendants, District Judge Minhas declared, “I find you both guilty of criminal damage, but you had no lawful excuse to cause the damage. It was done in a reckless manner.”
Can you imagine what would happen if the mayor of London, for example, disrupted the access to a major sporting event like a football match? If Dr. McKechnie does not respect your personal safety or that of others, he could be sent to prison.
Louis McKechnie has been arrested before for aggravated trespass and breaching an injunction.
There was no dispute over what happened at the gallery on 30 June. Rather, it was argued over whether or not Brocklebank and McKechnie glued themselves to a painting. The court heard what happened during the trial, and now have found that both artists were guilty of damaging the painting.
The gallery’s defense attorney challenged the question about whether the artwork has been worth more for so many years because of the protests it was subjected to.
She asked: “Is it possible for a relatively old building to be bought on and then become more valuable in the future?”
The museum’s director, Ms Serres, replied in the negative, and said “absolutely not” with a confident shake of her head.
Emily Brocklebank had no idea she would cause such damage when she used white glue to repair a faucet. She told the court, “I didn’t think it would cause much damage. This is not exactly what I meant.”
When McKechnie gave evidence about his past, he compared his actions to those of a civil rights leader in history.
In 1960, Martin Luther King was the most hated man in America. He still managed to make progress despite being an unpopular cause.
As the defense attorney for Brocklebank tells the courts, “Any good human would agree with trying to sustain life on Earth.”
After his conviction, the student was ordered to serve a five-month sentence following a verdict of guilty. He received a court suspended sentence and will be electronically monitored for six weeks after he’s out of jail.
Xavier Gonzales-Trimmer is another activist who has a criminal record. His activism helped him face charges but not all charges were dropped. He was fined when he didn’t appear in court for an earlier hearing.