Former LUSU President spared prison after being convicted of terror offence

Laura Clayson, the former Lancaster SU President, was spared prison today after being convicted of terror charges for stopping a deportation flight Stansted Airport.

In the hearing, lasting all day today, all of the "Stansted 15" were told they would not be getting custodial sentences. 12 will serve community service, whilst three will serve suspended sentences.

Before today, it had been feared that the defendants would be locked up, as they faced a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

All of the "Stansted 15", after pleading non guilty, were found to be guilty in 2018. The jury were told to disregard all evidence put forwards by the defendants to support the defence that they acted to stop human rights abuses.

The "Stansted 15" were found guilty for their actions on the 28th March 2017, where they cut through the airports perimeter fences, tied themselves to a Boeing 767 in order to prevent the flight with immigrants from Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria from departing.

11 of those on the flight remain in the UK. After appealing, one has been granted a resident's card, and two a leave to remain, whilst eight are continuing their cases with the Home Office.

The terror charges were based on them putting their arms inside the pipes and filling them with expandable foam, breaching the 1990 Aviation and Maritime security act.