BREAKING NEWS: Lucy and the Taranaki 7 in New Plymouth Court. The following will be updated as more news becomes available. ALL Updates are going on twitter at AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Twitter Account - @LUCYLAWLESSNET
THE NEW GOODS: Lucy and Taranaki 7 Found Guilty of Trespass, the $700,000 reparations that Shell wanted, thrown out, Community Service & a fine of $651.44 (what an odd number):
AUSXIP Lucy Lawless
@lucylawlessnet
Court decision: @RealLucyLawless and other Greenpeace activists ordered to pay $651 in reparation and serve 120 hours of community service
Actor-turned-activist Lucy Lawless and seven others have each been sentenced to 120 hours of community service after occupying Shell Todd Oil's exploration ship last year.
All eight Greenpeace anti-oil lobbyists avoided a $648,000 fine, instead being ordered to pay $650 each to cover port costs at New Plymouth District Court today.
In February last year, they occupied the 53 metre-high mast of the vessel Noble Discoverer for 77 hours to protest oil exploration in the Arctic being carried out by Shell, which owns 50 percent of Shell Todd Oil Services.
Police were seeking $648,000 in reparation costs, which was supported by Shell Todd Oil but Judge Allan Roberts turned it down.
Click here to find out more!
Judge Roberts says the defence has tried to downplay the crime as a "trifling" offence.
The eight protestors are: Ms Lawless, Raoni Hammer, Mike Buchanan, Shayne Comino, Viv Hadlow, Shai Naides, Zach Penman and Ilai Amir.
The protesters were initially charged with burglary, but pleaded guilty when the lesser charge of unlawfully being on the ship was laid.
Lawless is best-known for her role as Xena: Warrior Princess. She told reporters that the protest prompted thousands of people to support the campaign to stop the drilling.
DTN New Zealand: Community service for Lawless: Lucy Lawless and several other Greenpeace activists have been or... http://bit.ly/UAXscd
Seven Greenpeace activists, including actress Lucy Lawless, have been sentenced to community work and fined. http://bit.ly/Wvagjk
Greenpeace NZ
Great News! All eight Greenpeace anti-oil activists avoid $648,000 fine
Lucy Lawless and 7 other Greenpeace activists sentenced to 120 hours of community work for demonstration on oil ship http://ow.ly/hufkD