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Activists guilty of hate campaign | Activists guilty of hate campaign |
(20 minutes later) | |
Four animal rights activists have been convicted of orchestrating a blackmail campaign against firms that supplied an animal testing research centre. | Four animal rights activists have been convicted of orchestrating a blackmail campaign against firms that supplied an animal testing research centre. |
They used paedophile smears, criminal damage and bomb hoaxes to intimidate companies associated with Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) in Cambridge. | |
The four, members of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) from Hampshire and London, had denied the charges. | |
A fifth defendant was cleared by the Winchester Crown Court jury. | A fifth defendant was cleared by the Winchester Crown Court jury. |
During a six-year campaign the group falsely claimed managers of the companies were paedophiles. | |
They also sent hoax bombs parcels and made threatening telephone calls to firms telling them to cut links with HLS. | |
'Menacing' campaign | 'Menacing' campaign |
One of the features of intimidation included sending used sanitary items in the post to the firms and daubing roads outside managers' homes with words like "puppy killer". | One of the features of intimidation included sending used sanitary items in the post to the firms and daubing roads outside managers' homes with words like "puppy killer". |
Heather Nicholson, 41, of Eversley, Hampshire; Gerrah Selby, 20, of Chiswick, London; Daniel Wadham, 21, of Bromley, south London, and Gavin Medd-Hall, 45, of Croydon, south London, were found guilty of conspiracy to blackmail. | |
Another defendant, Trevor Holmes, 51, from Newcastle, was cleared. | |
Earlier, three other people, Gregg Avery and Natasha Avery, both of Hampshire, and Daniel Amos, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to blackmail. | |
This conspiracy to blackmail involved the systematic and relentless intimidation Det Ch Insp Andy Robbins | This conspiracy to blackmail involved the systematic and relentless intimidation Det Ch Insp Andy Robbins |
The court heard the defendants were part of SHAC, which was based near Hook, Hampshire, and targeted companies in the UK and Europe between 2001 and 2007. | |
The court heard Nicholson, from Eversley in Hampshire, was a founder member of SHAC, who managed the "menacing" campaigns against the firms. | |
Selby, Wadham and Medd-Hall were released on conditional bail, while Nicholson was remanded in custody. | Selby, Wadham and Medd-Hall were released on conditional bail, while Nicholson was remanded in custody. |
The verdict on Tuesday came after seven days of deliberation. | The verdict on Tuesday came after seven days of deliberation. |
One of the jurors refused to be seen in court while the verdict was announced. | One of the jurors refused to be seen in court while the verdict was announced. |
Det Ch Insp Andy Robbins, of Kent Police, told the BBC: "We are very satisfied with the outcome of this prosecution. | Det Ch Insp Andy Robbins, of Kent Police, told the BBC: "We are very satisfied with the outcome of this prosecution. |
"This conspiracy to blackmail involved the systematic and relentless intimidation of individuals and their companies who the defendants suspected to be involved with HLS. | |
"There was a whole group of tactics used by SHAC and I would like to pay tribute to the many victims who have had to carry on their lawful business while living through this criminal campaign. | "There was a whole group of tactics used by SHAC and I would like to pay tribute to the many victims who have had to carry on their lawful business while living through this criminal campaign. |
"The public should also be aware that money donated to SHAC in good faith was in fact being used to finance criminal conduct. | "The public should also be aware that money donated to SHAC in good faith was in fact being used to finance criminal conduct. |
"SHAC and the ALF [Animal Liberation Front] are one of the same, there is no club, no rules of membership." | |
Sentencing will take place on 19 January. | Sentencing will take place on 19 January. |