Just Stop Oil protester, 77, recalled to prison as wrists too small for tag

A 77-year-old Just Stop Oil protester has been recalled to prison after her wrists were too small for an electronic tag.

Grandmother Gaie Delap, from Bristol, was sentenced to 20 months in prison in August for her part in disruptive protests on the M25 in November 2022.

According to Just Stop Oil, four activists including Delap were released early and three were successfully tagged.

The 77-year-old was released on November 18 on a home detention curfew. The Electronic Monitoring Service (EMS) was unable to fit a tag to Delap’s ankle due to a health condition, so attempted to fit one to her wrist instead.

When they were unable to do so, a warrant was issued for her arrest on December 5 despite, according to Just Stop Oil, her being “fully compliant with the terms of release”.

She “experienced significant mistreatment in prison, suffering wrist problems after being handcuffed to a bed in hospital” and the warrant for her arrest was reportedly issued whilst she was receiving treatment in hospital.

A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said: “Gaie took action in 2022 after the government announced that it would issue over 100 new oil and gas licences.

“This was despite summer temperatures climbing above 40C, railways buckling in the heat, harvests being decimated, and the London Fire Brigade experiencing the most calls since WWII. There were 61,000 excess deaths from the heat in Europe that year.

“Gaie took this brave action out of a deep sense of duty to protect her children, grandchildren and indeed all of us.

“Meanwhile those causing real disruption – the fossil fuel executives, the water company bosses, the corrupt politicians who profited over dodgy PPE contracts, all walk free.”

“Because of medical conditions, Gaie requires a wrist tag, or some equivalent. And we know from our own investigations and enquiries there are many out there.

“Moreover, Gaie is absolutely no threat to the community. This recall to prison is a ridiculous waste of resources and money. It will cost the taxpayer £12,000 to keep Gaie in prison. We cannot believe that there is not an electronic monitoring device that can be fitted at a fraction of the cost.

“We want common sense to prevail.”

Delap’s family have called on supporters to contact Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood to ask her to reverse the decision.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: “We have a duty to enforce sentences passed down by the independent judiciary.

“The law states anyone released under Home Detention Curfew must be tagged and recalled if no alternative solution is available.”

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police added: “On Friday December 20, a woman aged in her 70s was arrested in Bristol after she was recalled to prison.”