A group of climate activists have reportedly been fined over a foiled protest at the Woodside Energy boss’s family home.
About 10 counter-terrorism police were waiting for Jesse Noakes, 36, and Matilda Lane-Rose, 20, when they arrived at the Perth home of Woodside chief executive, Meg O’Neill, in August 2023 with paint, water balloons and a bicycle lock.
They, along with Emil Davey, 23, who was stopped by police as he drove past the house in his ute the night before the incident, were initially facing a charge of conspiracy to commit criminal damage. But that was downgraded and they pleaded guilty in the Perth magistrates court to attempted unlawful damage and trespass.
In sentencing the Disrupt Burrup Hub members on Monday, chief magistrate Steven Heath said the trio had participated equally in the planning and preparation for the failed attempt to paint O’Neill’s garage door. He also accepted they were committed to their cause to draw attention to Woodside’s activities and the amount of damage that would have been caused “was not great”.
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But he said the decision to target O’Neill’s home and not her corporate office had elevated the level of the offending.
Davey and Lane-Rose were each fined $2,000 and Heath granted their application for a spent conviction.
Noakes was fined $2,500.
Outside court, Lane-Rose compared her fine to the $10,000 penalty recently handed to Santos for an oil spill off Western Australia’s coast.
“Who is more of a threat to people’s homes and lives – me, or Woodside?”
A fourth member of the group, Gerard Mazza, 33, who pleaded guilty to the same offences, will be sentenced later in the month.
Police had been aware of the group’s plans for about a week before their early morning arrival at O’Neill’s home with an ABC Four Corner television crew, who had intended to film the action.
In the days after the incident, the Western Australian premier, Roger Cook, said the action was carried out by “extremists”.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
