Members of a bizarre cult who claimed a coroner was a “necromancer” before rampaging into a court to try to arrest him have been found guilty of trying to kidnap and falsely imprison him.
Mark Christopher, 59, led the “nonsensical” cult into a coroner’s court in Essex in April 2023 after accusing senior coroner Lincoln Brookes of “interfering with the dead”.
Christopher – and three other members of the group, who call themselves the “federal postal court” or the “court of the people”, were arrested and now face seven years in prison.
Coroner Brookes, who was not at the court at the time, told Chelmsford Crown Court how he has been left with frequent nightmares about the incident.
Sean and Shiza Harper were handed months-long jail terms for the bizarre crime
PA
The judge, Justice James Goss, said Christopher was the “self-appointed leader” of the cult.
The 59-year-old had given himself the title of “chief judge of England and all dominions” – while fellow member Matthew Martin, 47, was the “sheriff and coroner”, Sean Harper, 38, was a “sheriff” and his wife Shiza, 45, was a “postal inspector”.
Martin, who represented himself in court, said he was “here to save younglings”, adding: “We find younglings tied up in places like underneath Asda supermarkets.”
Narita Bahra KC, representing Sean and Shiza Harper, argued the couple had been “in thrall” of Christopher – and had been “indoctrinated to believe [he] was a judge who had the power to serve warrants”.
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Mark Christopher led the “nonsensical” cult into a coroner’s court in Essex in April 2023
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The quartet all denied conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to commit false imprisonment – but have all been found guilty on both counts following a two-week trial.
The judge said Christopher “lay at the very heart of these offences” as he jailed him for seven years on Monday.
Meanwhile Martin, Shiza Harper and Sean Harper “were prepared to commit offences while doing [Christopher’s] bidding”, the judge said, before jailing them for 30 months each.
Brookes said he had received a series of “very bizarre” letters and emails which accused him of “detrimental necromancy” and warned him “corporal punishment may be administered”.
Mark Christopher called himself the “sheriff-coroner of England and all dominions”
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Michelle Brown, the Area Coroner of Essex, who was in the court when the four broke in, said her life had been “changed forever”, adding: “I do believe I will never feel safe… I wake up at night thinking I can hear someone trying to get in, then I sit up all night.”
Essex Police’s Detective Chief Inspector Nathan Hutchinson said after the sentencing: “Whilst we appreciate freedom of opinion, this group’s ideologies are nothing more than nonsensical intimidation and oppression with no regard for the law.
“Christopher told the group that they could take control of an active court, make arrests, and threaten public servants who were just trying to do their job supporting the people of Essex.”