A GP jailed for vandalizing petrol pumps insists his duty to fight climate change outweighs his medical responsibilities
Grays: A GP named Dr. Patrick Hart, who got locked up for damaging petrol pumps, is making headlines. He believes his role as a doctor means he must fight climate change.
Hart, 38, went a bit overboard at an M25 service station, smashing pumps with a hammer and spraying them with orange paint. He caused a lot of damage, totaling over £9,000.
In court, he got a 12-month sentence for his actions. This all happened back in August 2022 when he and other activists blocked the petrol station, defying a court order.
The repairs took a while, and the station lost some money while it was closed. Hart has faced legal trouble before for similar protests, and now he’s got a tribunal waiting for him when he gets out.
Before his sentencing, he told the court that climate change is the biggest health threat we face. He feels it’s his duty to protect his patients from the dangers of fossil fuels.
Hart has been in trouble before, even getting a suspended sentence for other protests. He and another activist were found not guilty after they disrupted a rugby match last year, claiming they didn’t mean to cause damage.
Another protester, a retired GP, had her medical license suspended for a while after her own protest. It seems like this climate activism is really shaking things up in the medical community.
