By Erin Pearson
Two climate activists who blocked peak-hour traffic on the West Gate Bridge, causing a woman to give birth on the side of the road, have had their jail terms almost tripled on appeal.
Deanna “Violet” Coco, 33, and Bradley Homewood, 51, faced the County Court on Tuesday after launching appeals against the 21-day jail sentences they were given for their March crimes.
Deanna “Violet” Coco outside court on Tuesday.Credit: AAP
The Office of Public Prosecutions also launched an appeal against the 21-day sentences, arguing they were inadequate.
County Court judge David Sexton said there was no doubt Coco and Homewood were passionate about climate change but both had deliberately and flagrantly broken the law, putting lives at risk.
This, he said, warranted two months in jail for each of them.
“While you may have been well-intentioned … the methodology you each employed to make your points caused a significant risk and disruption to the lives of others,” Sexton said.
“Your sustained obstruction of emergency workers … must be denounced [and] a message must be sent to like-minded people not to engage in this type of illegality.”
The judge said both had significant criminal histories for similar offending across the country and were serving out court orders at the time of their latest arrests.
The pair and another man – all members of environmental action group Extinction Rebellion – drove a truck onto the West Gate Bridge in peak-hour traffic about 7.45am on March 5. They then climbed onto the parked vehicle, set off flares and unfurled protest banners.
The court heard the incident blocked city-bound lanes for two hours, with a pregnant woman forced to give birth on the side of the road with the help of another motorist after becoming stuck in gridlocked traffic on her way to hospital.
Coco (left) and Homewood (right) on the West Gate Bridge.
In appealing the couple’s sentence on Tuesday, Crown prosecutor Jordan Johnston said that on the morning of the protest, 13 triple-zero calls to police and three to paramedics had a delayed response due to traffic being blocked.
These included calls to help with the imminent birth, and two calls to assist Victorians in mental distress at Broadmeadows and North Melbourne. In one of those cases, it took paramedics more than an hour to reach the patient.
Johnston said the incident had cost the state more than $7600, with 26 police attending the scene, plus a $300 towing fee for the truck.
The protest, he said, caused upwards of two-hour delays to inbound traffic and 30-minute delays on nearby roads.
Bradley Homewood and Deanna Coco.
VicRoads data presented to court showed that during the same time the week prior, more than 14,000 cars passed over the West Gate Bridge in one morning.
Taking to the stand to give her own sworn evidence, Coco said the science was clear that “hell on earth” awaited unless members of the community stood up to encourage change. She acknowledged the protest was disruptive but maintained it was proportionate to the environmental threat the world faced.
“I refuse to give up, your honour,” she said.
Coco also spoke about learning there had been a roadside birth during her protest, saying it had hollowed out her heart with grief.
“I drove that bridge so many times to consider the slower time for the speed of the cars to ensure the safety. We left two lanes open to allow the flow for some traffic,” she said.
“We considered there were hospitals on both sides of the bridge. This is a significant and catastrophic event that has occurred during our protest. “For that I am deeply sorry. It’s given me great pause and reflection and learning to change the way I protest.”
More than a dozen Extinction Rebellion supporters packed the County Court on Tuesday. Security found extra chairs for some while others were forced to wait outside.
Homewood, who remained in custody after his bid for appeal bail was refused, waved and blew kisses to his supporters as he was beamed into the room via video link from the Melbourne Assessment Prison.
Coco at another climate protest.
He also performed hand signals and beat his chest with his fists in response to Coco, his partner, flexing her muscles and blowing kisses to him via the live camera feed.
Coco had been granted appeal bail last week but was taken back into custody following the judge’s decision.
Judge Sexton said it was clear both offenders had a history of disobeying the law, and he expressed doubts about whether they would stop offending in the future unless a significant penalty was imposed.
He noted that they both were on court orders imposed in other states, with criminal records in places including South Australia, NSW and Victoria.
He said Coco had 15 prior court attendances since June 2021. She is currently the subject of two NSW court orders.
Homewood has six prior court appearances for similar offending since August 2021 and was serving a conditional suspended sentence, and a conditional release order, at the time of this offending from South Australia and NSW.
Sexton set aside the 21-day jail sentence imposed in the Magistrates’ Court and resentenced the pair – who had pleaded guilty to two counts of public nuisance and obstructing police and emergency service workers – to two months’ jail each.