A man who painted political slogans on the Sir Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square was found not guilty of criminal damage at Southwark Crown Court. Caspar San Giorgi (also known as Olax Outis) climbed the plinth on 27 February and sprayed phrases including "Free Palestine" and "Stop the Genocide". Prosecutors said the red paint caused more than £7,000 of damage, but San Giorgi argued the paint was washable and said his purpose was to send a political message to Parliament. A witness— a Greater London Authority heritage warden— alerted police, and Downing Street condemned the act.
Man Acquitted After Spray-Painting 'Free Palestine' On Churchill Statue
The Sir Winston Churchill statue, on Parliament Square, was spray-painted in February [PA Media]
A man who spray-painted political slogans on the statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square has been acquitted of criminal damage following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.
Court Case And Defence
Caspar San Giorgi, 39, also known as Olax Outis, climbed onto the plinth on 27 February and used red spray paint to cover the statue with slogans including "Free Palestine", "Stop the Genocide" and the phrase "Zionist war criminal", prosecutors said. The Crown alleged the paint caused more than £7,000 of damage.
San Giorgi told jurors he did not believe his actions were criminal because he intended to send a political message to Parliament. He maintained the paint was washable and disputed that it caused lasting harm to the statue. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty.
San Giorgi disputed the damage caused by the paint [PA Media]
What Happened At The Scene
The prosecution said San Giorgi arrived in Parliament Square just before 04:00 GMT carrying spray cans and a ladder to climb the plinth. According to prosecutor Peter Ratliff, he removed his coat to reveal a red boiler suit with the words "I support Palestine Action" on the back and then sprayed "Free Palestine" and red triangles on the front of the statue and "Never Again Is Now" on the rear.
San Giorgi told the jury: "Whether you convict me or not is not too much of a concern for me. Whether I get acquitted, deported, imprisoned for years, I can be proud of having spoken about injustice and I have accounted for my actions. I will accept your judgement."
A heritage warden working for the Greater London Authority witnessed the painting and alerted police. In the immediate aftermath, a Downing Street spokesperson described the defacing as "completely abhorrent," adding: "Churchill was a great Briton."
The court heard the trial evidence and returned the not-guilty verdict on Monday afternoon, concluding the prosecution had not proved criminal damage beyond reasonable doubt.
Help us improve.
