Man sentenced for encouraging Ulez camera vandalism

A man who shared a message on Facebook encouraging people to damage Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) cameras has been sentenced.

Joseph Nicholls, 43, from Sidcup, south-east London, shared a post in a closed anti-Ulez Facebook group in April 2023 which encouraged members to damage and dismantle the cameras.

Following his post, he then sent an email to the company that operates the cameras saying if he saw any of their electricians, he would "smash each and every one of them in the face".

At Woolwich Crown Court, the father of three was given a suspended jail sentence of 10 months for sharing the social media post and 18 weeks for the threatening email, to run concurrently.

The email was sent on 5 May last year to Yunex Traffic, whose infrastructure and technology have been "at the core" of Ulez, according to its website.

In court, prosecutor Charles Evans said Nicholls' note was intended to cause "distress or anxiety".

A police search later carried out at Nicholls' home found parts for two Ulez cameras.

Defence barrister Claire Cooper told the court Nicholls had never been on the streets causing damage to cameras himself and that the parts were likely to have been brought into his home by other anti-Ulez campaigners who had previously gathered there.

Sentencing, Recorder Andrew Hammond said: "The right and wrongs of Ulez are not a matter for this court but in any event this case is not about Ulez but the rule of law."

He said Nicholls' email was a "deliberate attempt on your part to intimidate other people".

"They have the right to perform their jobs without fear of intimidation or threats of violence," the recorder added.

The judge also said despite Nicholls never damaging Ulez cameras himself, he had contributed to a wider movement that had led to 174 cameras being vandalised in some way.

Nicholls cried in the dock on Wednesday when he was sentenced.

As well as the suspended sentence, he was ordered to pay a total of £6,800 and carry out 15 days of rehabilitation and 150 hours of unpaid work.

Vigilantes repeatedly targeted the cameras after the Ulez area was expanded to cover all of London last year.

Vehicles that do not meet minimum emissions standards are required to pay a £12.50 daily fee when used in the Ulez zone, or face a fine.

A spokesperson for Transport for London (TfL) described Nicholls' offences as "morally reprehensible".

"We hope this sentence will act as a warning to those considering breaking the law and engaging in acts that could result in serious harm to themselves and others," they added.

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