Olympic gold medallist Etienne Stott guilty over Extinction Rebellion protest

ByEurosport

Updated 22/01/2020 at 12:59 GMT

Former British Olympic gold medallist Etienne Stott has been found guilty of a public order offence after he took part in an Extinction Rebellion protest last year.

Etienne Stott of Team GB poses for a portrait during the Canoe Slalom World Championships Media Day at Lee Valley White Water Centre on September 2, 2015 in London, England

Image credit: Getty Images

Stott was protesting at Waterloo Bridge in London in April when he and fellow protestors were arrested when they refused to leave following police orders.

The 40-year-old, who won C2 canoe slalom gold along with Tim Baillie at the 2012 London Olympics, was handed a nine-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £300 in costs.

He told the court he had acted out of a "sense of fear" and a "sense of duty".

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As a good person, with a voice and a platform, I feel it was my duty to act in the way that I did.

"At the end of proceedings, I asked the judge to change sides and divert all this energy into safeguarding our future.

"He didn't say if he was going to or not, but there's no harm in asking people, right? I am clear that my actions in the April uprising last year were both necessary and effective.

"This is an emergency and I am compelled to do all I can."

Judge Michael Snow said Stott was an "impressive" individual who was "clearly terrified for the future".