Just Stop Oil activist jailed over ankle tag issue
A 77-year-old environmental campaigner has been sent back to jail after a problem with the electronic tag used to monitor him.
Gay Delap, a retired teacher from Montpellier, Bristol, was sentenced to 20 months in prison To participate in the Just Stop Oil protest Which blocked the M25 in November 2022.
But he was released under home detention curfew on 18 November Couldn’t put tag on his leg Due to deep vein thrombosis, and it was too big for his wrist.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said that if offenders cannot be electronically monitored in the community, they will be sent back to prison, even through no fault of their own.
His supporters said in a statement, “We know this is cruel and completely unnecessary. We know there are alternatives to the tag.”
“The cow is not a threat to the community at all.
“This recall to prison is a ridiculous waste of resources and money, and will cost the taxpayer £12,000 to keep Gay in prison.
“We cannot believe that there is no electronic monitoring device that can be fitted at a fraction of the cost. We want common sense to prevail.”
Ms Delap was arrested at 18:30 GMT on Friday and taken to Eastwood Park prison in Gloucestershire.
His case has been raised by Bristol Central MP Carla Denyer, who has written to prisons minister Lord Timpson and the probation service.
“Why does he have to face the additional punishment of being in jail longer than Christmas?
“This is not because he has broken his bail conditions, but because the private company responsible for fitting electronic tags could not find the right size tag for him and officers are considering alternatives such as daily check-ins at the police station. Wasn’t willing to do it,” he wrote on X.
The MoJ said that under the domestic scheme, offenders would have to remain under an electronically monitored curfew for at least nine hours a day.
“Where it is not possible to electronically monitor offenders in the community without fault, they will be recalled until it is possible to monitor them in the community,” the MOJ said.
