Just Stop Oil protester fears court trial clash with university exams

Niamh Lynch is accused alongside fellow JSO protester Rajan Naidu of causing damage to the historic site in June 2024.
The 22-year-old and 74-year-old Mr Naidu allegedly threw powder over Wiltshire’s stone structure just weeks prior to Summer Solstice.
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Just Stop Oil activist Niamh Lynch arriving at Salisbury Crown Court in Wiltshire. (Image: Andrew Matthews / PA Wire)
On Wednesday last week, the pair appeared at Salisbury Crown Court and denied one count of destroying or damaging an ancient monument and one count of intentionally causing a public nuisance.
Ms Lynch is currently a student at Oxford University and, during discussions to fix a trial date, her defence barrister Audrey Mogan asked that May and June be avoided due to the studies.
It has been reported in the past that the 22-year-old is a geography student as well as a youth representative at the British Trust for Ornithology.
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A website for Oxford’s Nature Conservation Society states she is co-president and, on the page, a statement said: “Hello I’m Niamh, a third-year geographer.
“My favourite Oxford bird is the Swift, my favourite Oxford flower is the Bee-Orchid, and my favourite Oxford place is Boundary Brook.”
A third protester, 35-year-old Luke Watson, is jointly accused alongside Ms Lynch and Mr Naidu but did not appear in court on Wednesday.
A 10-day trial will be held in October this year.