Dairy blockade protesters sentenced to unpaid work

Four activists who were convicted following a blockade of a Muller dairy site in Worcestershire have been ordered to carry out unpaid work.

In September 2022, people from the group Animal Rebellion blocked the dairy in Droitwich as part of a campaign pushing for people to move to a plant-based food system.

Protesters climbed onto trucks, milk silos and loading bays while some glued themselves to the ground and chained themselves to fences.

Six people were convicted and a seventh pleaded guilty to charges at Worcester Crown Court at earlier hearings.

Muller plants in Gloucestershire and Somerset were also targeted as was Arla's milk factory in Buckinghamshire.

Offences included causing a public nuisance and conspiracy to commit criminal damage and one defendant, Sarah McCaffrey, was also convicted of having an article with intend to destroy or damage property.

Ash Faulkner, 33, of no fixed abode, Lawrence Smith, 34, from Manchester, Jack Fleming, 28, from Oldham – the defendant who pleaded guilty – and McCaffrey, 21, of Glassford, Strathaven, were ordered to carry out unpaid work ranging from 120-240 hours.

Costs for the four ranged from £200 to £1,200.

All four were ordered to each pay a victim surcharge of £114.

Two other defendants - Kat Chan, 23, from Glasgow, and Ben Pattison, 31, from Sunderland - are due to be sentenced on 17 February.

Yves Tchapda, 29, from Manchester, was sentenced on 27 January, also to community service.

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