AN ACTIVIST faces jail for her involvement in a sustained hate campaign against a company which uses animal testing - which included sending Aids-contaminated items to its targets.
Debbie Vincent, formerly of Pampisford Road, Purley, was said by police to have gone beyond the boundaries of "lawful campaigning" She was found guilty of conspiracy to blackmail yesterday (Tuesday) and will be sentenced on April 17.
The 52-year-old's conviction follows a complex investigation into blackmail linked to animal rights extremism, which was led by the Met's Counter Terrorism Command.
During her trial, Winchester Crown Court heard how between November 15, 2001, and August 17, 2011, Vincent conspired with others to blackmail representatives of businesses they suspected of being associated with Huntingdon Life Sciences - a Cambridge-based international research company which uses animals in its testing programmes.
Part of the SHAC (Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty) group, they waged a sustained campaign of harassment and intimidation, mainly targeting individuals and companies in the Netherlands, the court heard.
This included making false allegations of paedophilia, hoax bomb threats, sending items allegedly contaminated with the Aids virus, and the blocking of e-mail and telephone systems.
Vincent, who now lives in Bristol, had been acting as a representative of SHAC and had been involved in the blackmail campaigns, the court heard.
Information about the companies and individuals was also published on the SHAC website, making them a target for activism.
Following Vincent's conviction, Duncan Ball, head of the Met Police's Counter Terrorism Command, said: "The tactics used were extremely damaging to those targeted and went far beyond lawful campaigning .
"The Met remains committed to upholding the right to lawful protest. However, we will not hesitate to pursue and prosecute those who are intent on committing criminal activity of this nature."
