Animal rights activists sentenced after damage to dairy site

Thirteen members of the protest group Animal Rising have been fined £56,875 ($72,345 in current currency) and given suspended jail sentences after causing £100,000 ($127,200) worth of damage at an Arla Foods distribution site in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK.

The defendants also received sentences totalling 1,550 hours of community service and 168 months suspended sentencing.

The court heard that the activists used drills to make holes in lorry tyres and bolt cutters to remove air valves – more on this here​.

Inspector Donna Norris from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Public Order Crime Team and senior investigating officer, said the sentences were a ‘culmination of nearly two years’ worth of work in what has been a challenging and complex investigation’.

“These 13 defendants turned up at a dairy distribution centre and caused tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage,” said Norris. “They were protesting around climate change and animal welfare and, regardless of your views on the topic, this does not mean you can take the law into your own hands and damage property belonging to others.

“This was a pre-planned incident, with much of it filmed and posted on social media. I hope these sentences will reassure the public that we will deal with matters such as these seriously, and that offenders will be brought to justice.”

An Arla spokesperson told DairyReporter: “We respect the right to a peaceful protest, however, this group of protestors both ignored a High Court Injunction and intentionally caused significant criminal damage to our property, whilst putting a number of our colleagues at risk.

“The safety and wellbeing of our colleagues will always be our number one priority and so we welcome the decisions of St Albans Crown Court, to protect our colleagues, our farmer owners and our business against any action in the future.”

In a statement on X, Animal Rising said the cost of the sentences ‘could hardly be more extreme’. “We can clearly see that peaceful, legitimate protestors are facing longer prison sentences and more extreme financial punishments across the UK.

“Over the last week, it has become clear that the previous government’s harsh new protest laws are not fit for purpose and only impact those campaigning for peace and a safer future.”