Animal rights activist jailed for attack with pickaxe handle

An animal rights activist who attacked the managing director of Huntingdon Life Sciences with a pickaxe handle was jailed for three years yesterday.

David Blenkinsop was one of a group of activists who inflicted a 7cm head wound on Brian Cass during an attack in protest at the animal experiments carried out at his Cambridgeshire firm. Jailing him at Peterborough Crown Court, Judge Neil McKittrick said Blenkinsop's actions had nothing to do with legitimate protest. "The purpose of your enterprise was to cause hurt and injury to Mr Cass. It was made worse by the use of weapons and three people swinging clubs against a defenceless man," he said.

The attack on Mr Cass came last February at the height of animal rights campaigners' protests against testing at Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). He was walking into his house when he was ambushed by three people. A neighbour who came to his aid had CS gas sprayed in his face.

Blenkinsop, 34, of Horsted Keynes, West Sussex, admitted unlawful wounding. The court was told he committed the offences in support of his beliefs about animal welfare. But his counsel, Ian Macdonald, said he no longer thought violence was acceptable. "He was, and remains, appalled at the suffering of animals at HLS. He deeply regrets his part in this attack and now realises that peaceful protest is the only way forward," Mr Macdonald said.

Detective Inspector Garry Swain said officers would still pursue the other two attackers.

Mr Cass said he hoped the sentence would act as a warning. "It shows society is not prepared to put up with this kind of extremist activity," he said.