A climate activist has pleaded not guilty to trespass during Everton’s match against Newcastle at Goodison Park earlier this year.
The game on Thursday, March 17, was halted for eight minutes after a spectator wearing a “Just Stop Oil” t-shirt went on to the pitch and used a zip tie to lock his own neck to one of the goalposts. Video footage shown live on Amazon Prime showed Everton staff struggling to break the tie, eventually resorting to bolt cutters to cut through it.
Former student Louis McKechnie was later charged with aggravated trespass and pitch encroachment during a regulated football match. The 21 year old, of no fixed abode, appeared over video link at Sefton Magistrates’ Court this morning and spoke briefly to confirm his personal details and deny the charges.
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Laura O’Brien, defending, indicated McKechnie was denying the charges on the basis of human rights act provisions protecting the right to protest and freedom of expression. In footage posted on social media after the match, which Everton won 1-0, McKechnie identified himself and explained why he is a supporter of the "Just Stop Oil" campaign.
He said he disrupted play because "we can't carry on as normal" with the current approach to fossil fuels. District Judge Wendy Lloyd invited Ms O’Brien to provide skeleton legal arguments to the court and Jonathan Wilkinson, prosecuting, prior to the trial later this year.
Ms O’Brien added that McKechnie was assaulted during the match and had since received death threats via social media. He was granted bail but with conditions which bar him from entering any regulated football matches, other regulated sporting fixtures and any venue being used for a televised event.
His trial will take place on June 7 this year at Sefton Magistrates’ Court.
