Lucy Lawless, an actress best known for her portrayal of Xena, Warrior Princess, was sentenced on Thursday after pleading guilty to illegally boarding an oil drillship in Taranaki with a group of six other Greenpeace activists, One News reported.
Judge Allan Roberts of New Plymouth District Court sentenced Lawless and the other activists to 120 hours of community work and ordered them to pay Port Taranaki $651.44 each, One News reported. But they did not have to pay a nearly half-million dollar fine to Shell, which owns the Noble Discoverer ship, because Roberts called such a fine unfair in a criminal case, United Press International reported.
Despite her sentence, Lawless said outside of the courthouse that the outcome was a victory, because it helped bring public attention to Shell's Arctic drilling efforts.
"Since we occupied the Noble Discoverer, it has become evident to everyone watching, from the millions who have signed Greenpeace petitions, to the US Government, now examining Shell's plans, that it can never be safe to drill in the Arctic," she told United Press International. "Shell's Arctic program has cost them billions, and it's now regarded as an eye-wateringly expensive failure."
Lawless and the group of other activists, including five from New Zealand and one from Spain, breached Port Taranaki security last year, climbing on the ship and delaying its departure to the Arctic, United Press International reported.
Shell Todd Oil Services general manager Rob Jager said in a statement issued to One News that he agreed with the police and hoped the sentence of Lawless and the others would deter future similar activities.
"Shell Todd Oil Services recognizes the right of individuals to express their point of view and protest in a manner that does not place the safety of people or property at risk," the statement read. "We continue to extend our offer of an open conversation where there is a real desire to find solutions."
The group pleaded guilty in June to charges of illegally boarding a ship, according to One News - they changed their plea after the initial charge of burglary was downgraded to the illegal boarding charge.
They were first scheduled to be sentenced in September, postponed until November, postponed again until Thursday.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
