A Julian Assange supporter has been banned from going within 100 yards of Belmarsh Prison after she damaged a wall in a mock jailbreak attempt. 

Maria Barnarda Gallastegui, 64, used a drill against a prison wall while standing next to a sign which said “jailbreak in progress”. 

“Priti Patel Save Julian Assange” was also sprayed on the wall of the high-security London prison where the WikiLeaks co-founder has been held during his lengthy battle to avoid extradition to the US. 

Gallastegui, of Copwood Close in Finchley, denied causing criminal damage to the wall but was found guilty on June 7 after a trial. 

Last Tuesday (June 25) Gallastegui appeared at Bexley Magistrates’ Court where she was given a community order including 100 hours of unpaid work and an exclusion requirement preventing her from going near Belmarsh Prison for one year. 

She was also ordered to pay £402 in compensation and £775 to the Crown Prosecution Service. 

WikiLeaks published a series of classified leaks provided by former US army soldier Chelsea Manning, which prompted the US government to launch a criminal investigation. 

An arrest warrant for Assange was also issued for two separate sexual assault allegations in Sweden. 

Assange claimed political asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London from 2012.

When he left in 2019 he was arrested and moved to Belmarsh Prison.

He has since faced extradition proceedings and in June 2023 he lost his latest legal appeal.