Extremists sentenced in final animal rights trial

26 October 2010

The last in a series of trials of an animal rights group behind an extensive criminal campaign concluded today. Six more of its members were sentenced at Winchester Crown Court, receiving sentences of between 1 year and 6 years.

All six had pleaded guilty, three of them to charges of conspiracy to blackmail. Seven other members of the gang, including its leaders, received prison sentences in January 2009.

The group, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), targeted people and companies they suspected of having links to the Huntingdon Life Sciences research facility. From protests and campaigning in the late 1990s, the group’s activities escalated, moving to criminal damage, physical attacks and threats. In rare cases they turned to arson and the use of hoax and real explosive devices. Public donations made in good faith through unlicensed street collections funded their criminal activity and their lifestyles.

Many of the group’s victims received threats and suspicious packages and suffered criminal damage to their homes. Some found that anonymous letters had been distributed to neighbours, falsely accusing them of being sex offenders. Targeting was persistent and sustained over several years. Masks and balaclavas were among the items seized when officers searched the group’s premises.

The investigation involved police officers from Kent, Hampshire, Thames Valley, Sussex, Surrey and the City of London’s economic crime unit. SOCA supported the police investigation by providing specialist surveillance resources and tactical advice.

SOCA’s Brad Jones said:

“Blackmail and extortion are serious crimes. This highly organised group committed these offences relentlessly and their gravity was exacerbated by intimidation and violence. These activities bear no comparison with legitimate protest.”

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Robbins, who led the investigation, said:

“I would like to pay tribute to the many victims who endured the criminal campaign, in some cases over many years, and who were prepared, if it had been necessary, to give evidence in court. The criminal tactics employed by members of SHAC – which ranged from sending threatening e-mails to placing explosive devices – were designed to create a climate of fear amongst their victims.

“Such tactics have no place in a democratic society and in no way reflect the peaceful protests carried out by the vast majority of legitimate animal welfare campaigners. The police service remains committed to facilitating the peaceful protest of the majority but, as we have seen today, we will not tolerate individuals who try and use crime to force their targets into submission.”

For more information see the Kent Police website.