Coroner 'feared for my family' in kidnap plot

Senior coroner for Essex, Lincoln Brookes, says the content of the alleged letters left him fearing for his safety

A coroner became tearful in court as he explained how an alleged kidnap plot made him "fearful for the safety of my family".

Lincoln Brookes said upon hearing a group had stormed Essex Coroner's Court in Chelmsford while he was on his way there, he "started driving home as fast as I could".

It followed a series of letters sent by an "anti-establishment group" that contained "human matter" including blood, a trial heard.

Mark Christopher, 58, Matthew Martin, 47, Shiza Harper, 45, and Sean Harper, 38 - from Essex and east London - deny plotting to abduct Mr Brookes.

The defendants are accused of using "self-conferred" legal powers in an attempt to "close down the courts" in Essex.

Sean Harper is accused of demanding £1.3m be "immediately" sent to himself and his wife, Shiza

The trial has been shown a video of the group wearing hi-vis jackets and carrying handcuffs as they entered courtroom two at Seax House in Chelmsford.

Allister Walker, prosecuting, said it was only "by chance" that Mr Brookes was not present when the kidnap plot was carried out.

'Interfering with the dead'

Giving evidence at Chelmsford Crown Court, Mr Brookes said he was alerted to the break-in by his colleague, area coroner Michelle Brown.

"She warned me that... these are the people who are in that letter and they are coming to get you," he told the jury.

"Because of what she said I turned around and started driving home as fast as I could because I was fearful for the safety of my family."

Becoming tearful in the witness box, Mr Brookes added: "I pulled over, in fact, because I was a bit upset".

Ms Brown said the group, upon entering her courtroom, accused her of "interfering with the dead".

"I was very afraid. They clearly were not bothered by any authority," she told the jury.

"I said: 'You can have the court, take the court but please don’t hurt me, don’t hurt us – let us go'."

Matthew Martin is accused of assaulting a security guard as the group allegedly entered Essex Coroner's Court, at Seax House in Chelmsford city centre

Mr Brookes, the senior coroner for Essex, said he received a series of letters between March 2022 and April 2023 that were "very bizarre".

One of the 25-page letters was covered in fingerprints and photocopies of "human matter" including DNA, saliva, hair and blood, Mr Walker said.

Mr Brookes said the writing within the letters was "gobbledegook, gibberish".

"The grammar and syntax of it was written in a way that did not represent normal English," he told the jury.

They included alleged accusations of Mr Brookes being a "detrimental necromancer" who was "under the penalty of perjury".

"I thought this was odd, to say the least," Mr Brookes added.

The group are said to have acted in a "very alarming" manner when they entered Essex Coroner's Court

Further correspondence demanded that Mr Brookes should pay £1.3m to Mr and Mrs Harper or "be sentenced to seven years behind bars".

Mr Brookes said he was "troubled" by the "upsetting" nature of the letters and believed them to be "a serious threat".

Sean and Shiza Harper, from South Benfleet in Essex, and the other defendants all deny conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to commit false imprisonment.

Mr Martin, from Plaistow, east London, also denies assault by beating and criminal damage.

Mr Christopher, from Forest Gate, east London, has pleaded not guilty to a further charge of sending a letter or email with intent to cause distress of anxiety.

The trial continues.