Caspar San Giorgi, who sprayed political slogans on Sir Winston Churchill’s statue, is found not guilty after arguing the washable paint caused no lasting damage
By Jagaban New
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| Sir Winston Churchill’s statue in Parliament Square was at the centre of a criminal damage trial after it was sprayed with political slogans. |
A man who sprayed political slogans on the statue of Sir Winston Churchill in London’s Parliament Square has been found not guilty of criminal damage following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.
Caspar San Giorgi, also known as Olax Outis, was cleared by a jury on Monday after denying that his actions amounted to criminal damage. The 39-year-old had argued that the paint used on the Grade II-listed statue was washable and that his protest had not caused lasting damage to the artwork.
San Giorgi had been accused of causing thousands of pounds in damage after climbing the Churchill statue in the early hours of February 27, 2026, and spraying it with red paint.
Among the slogans painted on the statue and its plinth were “Free Palestine”, “Stop the genocide” and “Zionist war criminal”. Other markings included “Never again is Now” and red triangles.
The incident took place shortly before 4am, when San Giorgi arrived at Parliament Square carrying spray paint and a ladder.
The court heard that he climbed onto the statue and removed his coat, revealing a red boiler suit bearing the words “I support Palestine Action”.
A heritage warden working for the Greater London Authority saw him painting the statue and alerted police.
Workers subsequently removed the red paint from the monument.
During the trial, San Giorgi told jurors that his intention was to send a political message to Parliament and then-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over the UK’s position on Gaza and the Palestinians.
He maintained that he did not believe he had damaged the statue because the paint could be removed.
His defence therefore challenged the prosecution's claim that the incident amounted to criminal damage, with the argument focusing partly on whether the washable paint had actually damaged the historic monument.
The prosecution had alleged that the incident resulted in restoration costs of more than £7,000.
Official information from the Greater London Authority later recorded final costs of £6,504 plus VAT for emergency graffiti cleaning and restoration, alongside £612 plus VAT for police barriers. The GLA said the emergency restoration costs were funded from its maintenance and restoration budget.
The costs had formed part of the wider dispute surrounding the case, with San Giorgi maintaining that the financial consequences did not establish that he had criminally damaged the statue.
The court ultimately found him not guilty of the criminal damage charge.
Churchill statue remains a protected landmark
The statue at the centre of the case is one of the prominent monuments in Parliament Square.
According to the Greater London Authority, the bronze statue of Sir Winston Churchill was created by sculptor Ivor Roberts-Jones and stands on a granite pedestal in the north-east corner of Parliament Square Garden. The monument is Grade II listed.
The February incident attracted considerable political attention because of the location and the historical significance of the monument.
Following the defacement, Downing Street described the incident as “completely abhorrent” and said Churchill was “a great Briton”, while stressing that the government would stand up for its values.
The incident also prompted discussion at London City Hall. A London Assembly motion in March condemned the defacement and described the Churchill statue as a monument of national importance.
The Churchill monument has previously been targeted by protesters. It was boarded up during Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020 after concerns that it could be defaced.
San Giorgi’s acquittal means he will not face a criminal conviction for the damage charge arising from the Parliament Square incident.
The case has nevertheless renewed debate over the limits of political protest, the protection of historic monuments and the legal definition of criminal damage in England and Wales.