Just Stop Oil protester has prison sentence extended

A 78-year-old climate protester has had her prison sentence extended by 20 days for being "unlawfully at large", after the authorities failed to find a tracking bracelet that fitted her.

Gaie Delap, a retired teacher from Bristol, was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment for her part in a Just Stop Oil protest in 2022.

She was released in November to complete her sentence at home, but was then recalled to prison when no appropriate tracker could be found to monitor her.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said Ms Delap's sentence had been extended because she did not return to custody when recalled on 29 November, with police re-arresting her on 20 December.

Ms Delap was unable to use a conventional ankle bracelet, because she suffers from a medical condition.

It was then discovered none of the existing tracking devices available to the MoJ were small enough to fit her wrist.

Family and friends of Ms Delap have criticised the decision to extend her sentence in an open letter.

They have also written to the Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, to ask her to examine the case.

This coincided with another letter co-signed by 25 women's rights and penal reform charities, also calling for the justice secretary to look into it.

Ms Delap's brother, Mick Delap, said: "How come that it has proved so impossible to fit this normal-sized woman, who desperately wants to have electronic monitoring, with any one of the many different forms of monitoring available to the authorities?

"That was true of the time she was waiting at home, and has continued to be true in the month since she has been back in prison.

"How come that there has been a deafening silence from the Ministry of Justice since Gaie's return to prison despite numerous appeals from her family, friends and her MP (Green co-leader Carla Denyer?"

Family friend, Mike Campbell, added: "Our criminal justice and penal system has failed, in Gaie's case, to meet the standards of proportionality, fairness, and respect for human dignity that should be the cornerstone of justice in the UK.

The Ministry of Justice told the BBC: "We are bound by law to enforce sentences passed down by the independent judiciary, this includes handing down additional days in custody when the law dictates."

The government is yet to directly address the family's open letter.

Ms Delap was due to leave prison on 17 March, but is now expected to do so on 7 April.

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.