Paralympic Gold Medallist Who Glued Himself To A Plane Is Released On Bail

James Brown, the Paralympic gold medallist who glued himself to a plane, has been released on bail.

The Paralympian, who has been registered blind since birth, said he wanted ‘to do something spectacular’ to raise awareness for the climate crisis.

At a Court of Appeal hearing in London on Wednesday, December 8, lawyers representing Brown challenged his sentencing.

Lord Burnett, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Justice Singh and Mr Justice Goss presided over the hearing and said that they would deliver a final ruling on the appeal on a date yet to be fixed.

However, they said that Brown could be released on bail while awaiting the ruling.

After the hearing, Brown said: 

I am thrilled, I am relieved, I am excited to be going home. And I am tired. It’s been a hard slog. I’m looking forward to the ruling with interest.

He went on to say:

I have not changed my mind about the absolute need to protest. I cannot see what else is going to bring about change. All the gains we have made throughout history have come about through peaceful protest.

Under the bail conditions, Brown will not be allowed to enter any airport where commercial flights operate due to the disturbance he caused.

Judge Gregory Perrins said that while Brown was motivated by a want to ‘bring about change’, he must face the ‘consequences’ of causing such disruption.

He said:

It is important that those who are tempted to seriously disrupt the lives of ordinary members of the public in the way that you did and then seek to justify it in the name of protest understand that they will face serious consequences.

Perrins added Brown would receive ‘no entitlement to more lenient treatment’ because he was protesting for a noble cause.

The date of the final ruling has yet to be determined.