Six members of Health for XR unanimously acquitted of criminal damage by a jury, despite legal defences being withdrawn
Six medical professionals (doctors and nurses), all members of Health for XR, have been unanimously acquitted of criminal damage, having been charged following a protest in 2022. Health for XR is aligned with Extinction Rebellion, “a socio-political movement which utilises nonviolent resistance to avert climate breakdown, halt biodiversity loss and minimise the risk of human extinction and ecological collapse”.
In July 2022, the six medical professionals cracked windows at the European Headquarters of JP Morgan in Canary Wharf, the world’s largest financier of fossil fuels, as an intervention to try to save lives in the face of an unprecedented heatwave and the climate and ecological emergency.
All six were charged with criminal damage and first tried at Snaresbrook Crown Court in 2024. The jury, however, were unable to reach a verdict, despite all available legal defences having been withdrawn prior to trial.
The retrial commenced on 4th February 2026 and, following a nine-day trial, the jury unanimously acquitted all six defendants under four hours on 16th February 2026.
The third defendant was represented by Maryam Mir at the first trial and by Yvonne Kramo at the retrial. The first two defendants were represented at both trials by Tom Wainwright of Garden Court Chambers. The remaining three defendants represented themselves at both trials.
Yvonne was instructed by Hester Cavaciuti of Bindmans LLP.
