A PROTESTER who tried to glue her hand to a police car during a protest against the Bibby Stockholm Barge at Portland Port was ordered to pay £864.32 to Dorset Police.

On Thursday, October 19, protesters from Just Stop Oil attempted to block a bus carrying asylum seekers on Portland Beach Road.

Three men were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage to a coach.

Ellie Litten, 36, of Stanley Street in Luton appeared before Weymouth Magistrates’ Court charged with causing criminal damage to a police car on the same day.

She represented herself and pleaded guilty to a charge of without lawful excuse, damaging a Skoda Kodiaq motor vehicle to the value of £864.32 belonging to Dorset Police, intending to destroy or damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be destroyed or damaged.

The court heard from Tara Olney for the prosecution that on Thursday, October 19, Police witnessed Litten trying to superglue her hand to a police vehicle.

Police pulled her hand off the car, with an officer telling her: “Don’t stick yourself to that car, that could be criminal damage”.

The officer then pulled the defendant’s hand from the car and ordered her to drop her super glue.

Police totalled the costs of repairing the car as over £800, including costs to repair the bonnet and re-painting the emblem.

The court heard Litten had three previous convictions for similar offences involving protests.

In mitigation, Litten read out a prepared statement.

She said: “I went to the causeway between Weymouth and Portland on October 19 to try to temporarily stop a bus which was carrying asylum seekers back to the Bibby Stockholm Barge.

"After the bus had left, police arrived and arrested a person for criminal damage to the bus.

"I knew that charge was unfounded and that he had done no damage.

"I glued my hand to the police car because what was happening seemed so wrong on many levels.

“It is my belief that the Government is knowingly endangering innocent lives by housing people on this barge.

“Although I believe that the damage I caused to to the police car was something you’d have to try hard to notice and I question the value of the damage, I am not asking for leniency for myself and will take any punishment that comes my way."

Litten was ordered to pay £864.32 in compensation to Dorset Police and given a conditional discharge due to her previous convictions.

The terms of the condition mean that if she commits an offence during the next 12 months, she could be charged with the offence committed on October 19 as well as any new offence.

Outside the court, protesters gathered outside to show their support for Litten.

Protesters held up extinction rebellion signs and flags, as well as a sign which said “no humans are illegal”, held by Litten herself.