Man plotted to spray 'Palestine' over 'giant heart' at Boris Johnson's wedding party, court hears

A man plotted to spray the word "Palestine" over a "giant heart" on the lawn at Boris Johnson's wedding party, a court has heard.

Tim Speers and Sean Middlebrough were found with spray paint, glue and a boiler suit at the estate of JCB chairman and Tory party donor Lord Anthony Bamford.

A court was told police apprehended them on 29 July 2022, the day before the reception for the then prime minister and his wife Carrie.

The pair wed in secret in May 2021 in a small ceremony, but due to the pandemic no more than 30 guests were able to attend.

Speers, 41, is also said to have recorded a voice note agreeing to carry the protest for banned group Palestine Action.

He's denied intending to cause criminal damage and said he abandoned the plan due to a large security presence at the Cotswold estate.

Middlebrough faces the same charge and will face a separate trial in future.

Jurors at Southwark Crown Court heard police approached the pair - who were holding cans of beer - as they looked "quite out of place".

They allegedly appeared "agitated" and refused to say where they were going, before claiming they were holidaymakers looking for a train station.

Prosecutor Christiaan Moll said a search found two cans of red and white paint, a can of "very high temperature" paint and superglue. Middlebrough also had a red boiler suit

The court heard details of Speers' voice note, created the day before he was arrested.

He talked about being contacted by two people from Palestine Action and agreeing to "do an action", jurors were told.

"So basically that Lord Bamford is hosting some like party this weekend, Boris Johnson," Speers says in the recording.

"Lord Bamford is like the owner, his family the owner of JCB if no-one's aware...the Israeli government basically use JCBs to bulldoze Palestinian homes to create way for Israeli settlers, so this dude just profits from untold suffering."

"On his lawn apparently there's this just giant heart," he adds.

"I haven't seen it but Rich said like there's this big heart mowed into his lawn, so the idea is to just go up to it and write Palestine in red paint, like through a like weed sprayer."

Read more from Sky News:
Sussexes won't take up royal duties
Jaguar Land Rover to cut 4,000 jobs

Speers is said to have requested someone film the stunt and claimed it would be "a complete piece of piss to justify" in court.

The prosecutor said Speers is expected to accept making the voice note, as well as having the paint and glue, but will argue he "decided not to go through with the intended protest" due to tight security.

Speers, from Bude in Cornwall, denies having an article with intent to destroy or damage property.

The trial continues.

(c) Sky News 2026: Man plotted to spray 'Palestine' over 'giant heart' at Boris Johnson's wedding party, court hears<