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Greg Avery

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Template:Animal liberation movement Greg Avery (born 1963), also known as Greg Jennings and Greg Harrison,[1] is a British animal rights activist and co-founder of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), an international campaign to force the closure of Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), a controversial animal-testing company with bases in Huntingdon, England, and New Jersey in the United States.

Early life

Avery trained as a tailor,[2] but joined the animal rights movement at the age of 15, and has devoted himself to it full-time ever since.[3] He has been one of the founding members of several animal rights groups, including the Northern Animal Liberation League, the Consort beagle campaign, Save the Hillgrove Cats, and most recently Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC). He is also a vocal supporter of the SPEAK campaign, which aims to stop the construction by Oxford University of a new animal testing laboratory on South Parks Road, Oxford.

SHAC campaign

Avery started SHAC in November 1999 with his first wife, Heather James, now Heather Nicholson, after video footage shot covertly inside HLS by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals was aired on British television.[4] Footage shot in the UK showed HLS staff shouting at, shaking, punching, and laughing at the animals.[5] footage shot later in the U.S. appears to show a live and possibly conscious monkey being dissected. [6]

In 1996, Avery spent 18 months on remand after police found incendiary devices in the house where he was staying with another activist. He was later acquitted. He was sentenced in 1998 to six months for affray, and 14 days later that year for offences under the Public Order Act. In 2002, Avery and James and a third activist, Natasha Constance Dellemagne (now Natasha Avery) were jailed for 12 months, six suspended, for conspiracy to incite a public nuisance.

In the spring of 2002, Dellemagne and Avery became a couple and later married. As of 2004, the couple were living, together with Heather James, in a cottage provided by a wealthy supporter, Virginia Jane Steele. [7] [8]

In July 2006, Natasha Avery and Heather James/Nicholson were sentenced to 16 months in jail, along with 19-year old Daniel Wadham, who was sentenced to 12 months in detention, for an attack on a car displaying a Countryside Alliance sticker. The trio were convicted of verbally abusing and spitting on the occupants, a 75-year-old woman, a woman in her 40s, and a 21-year old man. [9]

On May 1, 2007, after a series of raids involving 700 police officers in England, Amsterdam, and Belgium, 32 people linked to SHAC were arrested, including Greg and Natasha Avery, who were refused bail.[10][11]. Heather Nihcolson was arrested and charged at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court on the 7th May 2007[12], Greg and Natasha Avery were charged on the 3rd May 2007 under blackmail charges, described in the Criminal Law Act 1977.[13] Nine other of activists were also arrested were charged with blackmail. [14]

On October 26th 2007, Gregg Avery was taken back to HMP Winchester after an appearance at Aldershot magistrates, whilst Natasha Avery and Heather Nicholson were moved back to HMP Bronzefield following their appearance at Winchester Crown Court. They are awaiting trial in June 2008 and will be remanded in custody until this date. [15]

Prisoner details

Gregg Avery (TA7450) HMP Winchester, Romsey Road, Winchester, SO22 5DF. UK

What Gregg can receive: writing pad (no ring binders), envelopes, £5.00 of stamps, twenty (5x7 / 6x4) photos, check with Gregg before sending.

Cheques and postal orders must be made out to 'HM Prison Service' and Gregg's name/number written on the back, including a return address. [16]

Further reading

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Goodwin, Jo-Ann. "The Animals of Hatred", The Daily Mail, October 15, 2003
  2. ^ Thugs for Puppies The Salon, John Cook, Undated. Retrieved 1 October, 2006
  3. ^ Money talks The Guardian, Steve Boggan, June 1, 2006
  4. ^ "Beauty and The Beasts", The Observer, Jamie Doward and Mark Townsend, August 1, 2004
  5. ^ Inside HLS video
  6. ^ Live monkey video
  7. ^ The Daily Mail (London), The Animals of Hatred, Jo-Ann Goodwin, October 15, 2003
  8. ^ Sex and violence allegations split animal rights campaign The Guardian, Jamie Doward, April 11, 2004
  9. ^ Animal Rights Trio Jailes For Grandma Attack Life Style Extra, 25 July, 2006
  10. ^ "Animal rights extremism - police arrest 32 people", National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit press release, May 1, 2007.
  11. ^ Laville, Sandra
  12. ^ http://www.netcu.org.uk/media/article.jsp?id=255
  13. ^ "Animal rights activists involved in bid to shut lab among 30 arrested in raids", May 2, 2007.
  14. ^ Max Gastone [1]
  15. ^ http://www.vpsg.org
  16. ^ http://www.vpsg.org/prisonerlist.html

References

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