Cult members who 'wanted to construct own legal system' jailed for coroner kidnap plot

Four members of a group who plotted to kidnap a coroner have been jailed.

Mark Christopher, 59 and Matthew Martin, 47, both from east London, along with married couple Shiza Harper, 45, and Sean Harper, 38, both from South Benfleet, Essex were convicted of conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to commit false imprisonment in July.

During their trial, Chelmsford Crown Court heard that Lincoln Brookes, senior coroner for Essex, received a series of "very bizarre" letters between March and September 2022, followed by emails stating that "corporal punishment may be administered".

Mr Brookes described the messages, which claimed to be warrants "for seizure of goods and persons", as "troubling" and "upsetting". In one, he said he was accused of "detrimental necromancy".

The court was told the defendants travelled to the coroner's court in Chelmsford on 20 April 2023 with handcuffs in search of Mr Brookes, but he was not there at the time.

During summing up in the case, Mr Justice Goss told jurors that the defendants were "members of a group called the Federal Postal Court, or Court of the People".

In sentencing remarks, the judge described Christopher as "manipulative and dishonest". He said Christopher was the "self-appointed leader" with the title "chief judge of England and all dominions".

He added Martin was a "sheriff and a coroner", Sean Harper a "sheriff" and his wife Shiza Harper a "postal inspector and auditor".

Detective Chief Inspector Nathan Hutchinson from Essex Police said: "The ideologies of this group were concerning and they genuinely believed that they had the power to construct their own legal system, threaten others and were above English law."

He praised staff at the coroner's court for acting "calmly and rationally during an intimidating and traumatising ordeal".

Christopher, who was also found guilty of sending threatening letters to Mr Brookes, with intent to cause distress or anxiety, was sentenced to seven years for the conspiracy to kidnap and 18 months for malicious intent, to run concurrently.

The other three were sentenced to 30 months imprisonment for conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to commit false imprisonment - with each count to run concurrently.

The four defendants had denied all the charges. Martin was found not guilty of a separate charge of assault against a security guard and criminal damage.