Animal Rising activists fined £57k after damage to Arla dairy

Activists who caused £100,000 worth of damage to an Arla distribution centre in Hertfordshire have been given suspended jail sentences and fined by a Crown Court judge.

In what police described as a pre-planned incident, the activists drilled holes in lorry tyres and used bolt cutters to cut off the air valves at the Hatfield site in September 2022.

They belonged to Animal Rebellion, a group since renamed Animal Rising.

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Thirteen of those involved have now been sentenced at St Albans Crown Court for conspiracy to cause criminal damage.

Following a three-week trial, nine were given suspended prison sentences ranging from 15-24 months, and four received community orders, with fines totalling £56,875.

© Animal Rising

Intentional damage

The convictions were welcomed by Arla, and a spokesman said that while the company respected the right to peaceful protest, the protestors had ignored a High Court injunction.

The spokesman continued, saying that the activists had “intentionally caused significant criminal damage to our property, while 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,” the spokesman added.

Organisations, including the Countryside Alliance (CA), have also supported the sentencing. Mo Metcalf-Fisher, rxternal affairs director for the CA, described the action as “blatant hooliganism and vandalism”.

“It is right that the offenders have been brought to justice. The public are sick and tired of seeing disruption caused by a handful of obsessive, warped activists, and it is commendable that Hertfordshire Constabulary pursued this case so rigorously.”

Animal Rising has since launched a fundraising appeal to cover the costs of those convicted. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), the organisation described the fines as “excessive’’.

“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,” the group stated.

Five further suspects were arrested in connection with the incident at Hatfield, but fled to the Czech Republic and failed to answer their bail.