Caitlin Cooper: trespasser at Scott Morrison’s home sentenced
Speaking outside court, a teen activist has said Scott Morrison’s ‘inaction on the bushfire crisis’ was the reason behind trespassing at his private home, purportedly to ‘sh*t in his pool’.
St George Shire Standard
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A former high school captain suffering from climate anxiety said they trespassed at Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s private home to protest government inaction in the horrific summer of bushfires.
Activist Caitlin Cooper, 18, pleaded guilty to trespassing after worried neighbours saw them and friend Dean Fletcher, 33, in the backyard of the Prime Minister’s private home in Dolans Bay on January 3.
Cooper spoke exclusively to the St George Shire Standard and Daily Telegraph after they appeared at Sutherland Local Court on Thursday.
“I’m not sorry about what happened, I am sorry if I caused any distress to members of the community or the local area but I’m not sorry about the outcome,” Cooper said.
“(I did it because of) anxiety about the climate and our government’s inaction on the bushfire crisis.”
Fletcher and Cooper had live-streamed themselves drinking cider in Prime Minister Morrison’s Dolans Bay home on January 3 after Fletcher had created a public Facebook event titled “Watch the test cricket at Scott’s” for that date.
In a video they posted to YouTube afterwards Fletcher said they were waiting to “shit in the Prime Minister’s pool”.
“My actions on the day came from anxiety about the state of the environment and anger at perceived inaction of the government,” Cooper told Magistrate Les Mabbutt at Sutherland Local Court on Thursday.
Mr Mabbutt asked Cooper how they would feel if someone had trespassed at their home in Fairy Meadow.
“I’d feel violated, Your Honour,” Cooper stated.
Mr Mabbutt reduced the maximum fine of $550 to $400 and did not record a conviction.
“This is aggravated somewhat because the person whose residence you trespassed at is a public official,” Mr Mabbutt said.
“Public officials have the right to decide who goes to their homes.”
Cooper told the court their ability to pay fines was limited as they had recently started studying a Bachelor of Creative Arts and Arts at the University of Wollongong and did not have time to work.
“This is my first offence even though I’ve been involved in activism for the environment,” Cooper told the court.
“I’ve got a history of good character – I was the school captain at Warrawong High School, I’m a surf lifesaver and I’m involved in my local bush care group.”
Police facts stated Cooper was one of 86 people who clicked attending on Fletcher’s event, with 187 others saying they were interested.
“The details of the event read ‘Scott has said we should just watch the cricket and ignore the bushfires, so let’s have a barbecue and pool party at his place’,” police facts stated.”
“BYO drinks once the house drinks run out, vegetarian and vegan options available.
Fletcher will return to Sutherland Local Court on March 26.