Newchurch trio 12 years sentence upheld

[hop 0]

Newchurch trio 12 years sentence upheld

19:03:07


The 12 year prison sentence imposed on three animal rights activists for their parts in a campaign against Newchurch Guinea pigs has been upheld in the Court of Appeal.

Three judges in London rejected sentence appeals by John Ablewhite, 37, Kerry Whitburn, 37, and John Smith, 40 who were convicted in May 2006 at Nottingham Crown Court for their role in the campaign against the David Hall and Partners at Darley Oaks Farm in Newchurch, near Burton in Staffordshire. Each pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to blackmail the owners of the guinea pig breeding farm.

Although the trio pleaded guilty to conspiring to blackmail the owners of the Guinea Pig farm, they were never charged with or have ever admitted any responsiblity for the desecration of the grave and the stealing of the body of Mrs Gladys Hammond in 2004, who was the mother-in-law of one of the Hall brothers. However, most media reports have clearly sought to implicate them in the theft.

What would appear to be a campaign of misinformation has been orchestrated and sustained at the very highest levels with the CPS and the Police guilty of gross misconduct. After the High Court's ruling both the police and the CPS seem keen on propogating the notion that the trio were responsible for stealing the body of Mrs Hammond.

Harry Ireland, the chief crown prosecutor for Staffordshire crown prosecution service (CPS) welcomed the ruling saying, "The nature of the campaign undertaken by these people was vicious and despicable, targeting a whole community, including the elderly and most vulnerable, over a course of years. It culminated in the appalling act of removing the remains of Gladys Hammond from her grave; who could argue that a severe sentence was not merited both from a punishment and a deterrent aspect?"

Staffordshire police's Superintendent Nick Baker, who led the investigation, commented, "As the judge acknowledged today, Ablewhite, Smith and Whitburn's six-year criminal campaign - which included the theft of a woman's body from her grave - terrified a whole community and appalled people nationwide, including many animal rights protestors," he said.

After the High Court rejected his appeal, John Ablewhite commented, "I can only surmise this case has become a political chess game and false accusations are so abound that all logic has been lost. The pretexts and purposes of the police, the media and the courts are clearly insidious and Machiavellian. How I am expected to calmly settle down and complete my sentence, one can only guess? Until there is a fair and decent exploration of the evidence in this legal drama - one which has been played out for the media from the time of my arrest in 2004 until right now - I will continue to question and challenge the decisions made about me."

Mr. Ablewhite concludes his statement: "From prison, I shall continue my fight for probity and justice."

The owners of Darley Oaks Farm decided to stop breeding guinea pigs in August 2005.



http://www.arkangelweb.org/international/uk/20070319newchurchsentencingupheld.php