A group was convicted for plotting to kidnap a coroner using pseudo-legal concepts.
- Sean Harper, Shiza Harper, Matthew Dean Martin, and Mark Kishon Christopher faced charges of conspiracy to commit kidnap and imprisonment.
- Mark Christopher also faced additional charges of sending distressing communications.
- The group claimed to have authority over courts, believing in their power apart from the legal system.
- Police arrested the group after an attempted abduction, finding more plans to harm.
Following a two-week trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, four individuals, Sean Harper, Shiza Harper, Matthew Dean Martin, and Mark Kishon Christopher, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit kidnap, as well as conspiracy to commit false imprisonment. Mr Christopher faced an additional charge for sending distressing communications, seeking to cause alarm.
This case centres around a bizarre attempt to claim authority over the legal system, with the defendants subscribing to pseudo-legal theories. On 20 April 2023, the group entered Seax House in Chelmsford, where the Essex coronial service operates. Armed with high-visibility jackets, body cameras, and handcuffs, they sought to confront Senior Coroner Lincoln Brookes. The absence of Mr Brookes did not deter them from detaining those present, threatening them, and asserting a false claim about closing the court.
When police arrived, Mr Christopher declared that the court system was ‘shut down’ and that officers should assist their actions, not question them. Mr Martin was arrested on-site for assault and damage, while the others initially escaped. Investigations revealed the group’s affiliation with an ‘organised pseudolegal commercial argument’ movement, believing they operated above traditional law.
Master Giddens, from the King’s Bench, criticised such ideologies, considering them a confusing misuse of legal terminology devoid of actual legal standing. Mr Christopher, self-styled as a ‘chief federal postal court judge’, claimed jurisdiction over government communications. Witness accounts revealed that Mr Brookes endured escalating threats via letters and emails, which eventually promised immediate corporal punishment.
The group’s audacious efforts demonstrated a fundamental misunderstanding of the law’s boundaries, believing themselves capable of enforcing punitive measures. Their arrest, particularly close to Southend County Court, alongside searches of their residences, provided evidence of a more sinister intent towards Mr Brookes.
During interviews, Ms Harper mentioned her brief training under Mr Christopher as a postal inspector to justify her actions. Mr Brookes articulated the deep impact on his personal sense of safety and vigilance regarding his family’s wellbeing due to the threats posed by the group.
This case highlights the dangers of pseudo-legal movements and their potential to threaten public safety.
