‘Cult’ tried to kidnap coroner from courtroom for performing ‘necromancy’
A coroner told a trial that he feared for the safety of his family after a group of people ‘tried to kidnap him’ by turning up at his court.
Lincoln Brookes, senior coroner for Essex, said he received a series of ‘very bizarre’ letters in 2022 before receiving emails in April 2023 stating that ‘corporal punishment may be administered’.
He was accused of performing necromancy, the supposed practice of communicating with the dead, especially in order to predict the future.
He described the emails, which claimed to be warrants ‘for seizure of goods and persons’ as ‘troubling and upsetting’.
Mark Christopher, 58, of Forest Gate, east London, Matthew Martin, 47, of Plaistow, east London, Shiza Harper, 45, of South Benfleet, Essex and Sean Harper, 38, of South Benfleet, Essex are all on trial and all deny conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to commit false imprisonment.
Mr Brookes told Chelmsford Crown Court on Wednesday that in an attachment to an email he was accused of ‘detrimental necromancy’, adding: ‘I thought, this person’s making no sense. I was thinking this person, already in my mind, can’t be rational.’
The mention of ‘corporal punishment’ made Mr Brookes feel ‘this was a security threat to my safety’, and prompted him to contact the police – who told him the risk was ‘low’.
But he later received another email – and the group turned up to search for him a day after he received the ‘ominous’ email.
Describing the email, he said: ‘What was different this time was this business of being ‘held for a minimum of 45 days by police and thereafter to be sentenced’, which was ominous.’
‘And ‘with all rights removed they may never enter the world private again’ – I didn’t know what it meant but it sounded ominous.’
Mr Brookes had not been at the coroner’s court in Chelmsford that morning, having accompanied a family member to a hospital appointment, but was due to attend the court to preside over an inquest that afternoon.
Mr Brookes said he was warned not to come to the building and was told ‘these are the people from the letter – they’re coming to get you’.
He told the court: ‘I turned around and started driving home as fast as I could as I was fearful for the safety of my family.’ He pulled over later as he was too upset.
He described reference to corporal punishment as ‘a threat of harm, serious harm’.
He said he had sent the details of the email to management at Essex County Council, and planned to send it to Essex Police.
He said he saw that the email had also been sent to the Chief Constable of Essex Police, and had been ‘assured I didn’t need to take this too seriously’ so ‘felt it could wait until the next day’.
Mr Brookes also received a series of baffling letters in 2022, which stopped when the emails began.
Prosecuting, Allistar Walker said: ‘Mark was the self-appointed leader and chief judge of England all members of the group called ‘Federal Postal Court’, or ‘Court of the People’.
‘It claims to have jurisdiction over all courts and corporations. The group was created by a man now deceased but now controlled by Mark, and has a significant following, as an anti-establishment protest cult with self-conferred court powers.’
Christopher denies sending threatening letters to Mr Brookes with intent to cause distress or anxiety.
Martin denies assault by beating of Eammon McCormack on April 20, 2023, and the criminal damage of his spectacles.
The trial continues.
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