London [UK], February 1: Two Just Stop Oil protesters must pay Madame Tussauds £3,500 in compensation after slapping vegan chocolate cakes in the face of a waxwork of Britain's King Charles III.
Eilidh McFadden, 20, and Tom Johnson, 29, were found guilty of criminal damage on Tuesday after Westminster Magistrates' Court heard they targeted the model "in the manner of a slapstick comedy using custard pies" on October 24 last year. The model, along with those of the queen consort and the prince and princess of Wales - which can cost between £75,000 and £200,000 to make - were removed from display until the following morning.
McFadden and Johnson denied causing £3,500 of criminal damage, with the costs said to have been incurred by the repainting, as well as the cleaning of clothes and real hair wigs of the waxworks, and the royal set, including a red throne.
The court heard some staff had to work an extra five hours, while admission was halted for almost an hour, which could have prevented up to 900 people entering during the busy half-term holiday.
McFadden added, "shaving foam on a waxwork is nothing compared to the damage we see from the climate crisis." However, prosecutor Jonathan Bryan said, "Your actions have done nothing whatsoever to help those persons effected by climate change, have they?" District Judge Neeta Minhas gave Johnson, who has no previous convictions, a 12-month conditional discharge but ordered him to pay £1,750 compensation and £250 costs.
McFadden, who has three previous convictions for aggravated trespass, was ordered to pay the same amount of compensation and costs, and handed a 12-month community order, including 80 hours of unpaid work.
Source: Qatar Tribune
