Pro-Palestine protester dodges jail for climbing Big Ben tower

A pro-Palestine protester who climbed the tower housing Big Ben and sat on a ledge for nearly 17 hours has dodged jail.

Daniel Day, 30, was handed a 14-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, by Southwark Crown Court on Monday.

He was accused of causing "serious disruption" by scaling the Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster on 8 March last year.

The stunt was estimated to have cost taxpayers £67,000, jurors were told during his trial.

He was found guilty in June of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance and will also be sentenced for trespassing on a protected site.

He shared videos on Instagram during his 16-and-a-half-hour sit-in on the tower's ledge, suggesting in one clip that he planned to stay there for three-and-a-half days.

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