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2:58pm Friday 13th February 2009
Animal rights campaigner Mel Broughton has today been sentenced to 10 years plotting firebomb attacks against Oxford University.
The jury at Oxford Crown Court convicted the 48-year-old of conspiracy to commit arson.
Broughton was charged following the discovery of firebombs found at Templeton College in February 2007 and an attack on The Queen's College sports pavillion the previous November.
Broughton has been the public face of the anti-vivisectionists' campaign against the construction of an animal experiments laboratory in South Parks Road.
He is the leader of campaign group Speak and had said he was only involved in non-violent protests.
It is the first conviction over the attacks on the University.
Broughton, of Semilong Road, Northampton, has just been sentenced to 10 years.
Judge Patrick Eccles said: “The firebombs that you planted at these two buildings were out there as part of a ruthless campaign to instil fear to all those connected to the laboratory, whether they were workers, managers, academics or tradesmen.
“A real and profound sense of fear has pervaded the lives of very many people here in Oxford as a result of the campaign by individuals who have no care for the feelings or sense of security of the innocent men or women who happened to be associated with the laboratory.
“Your involvement in this conspiracy has made a significant contribution to that fear.”
Mel Broughton was so committed to the cause of animal rights he had a vasectomy to allow him to devote his life to his cause.
He made the choice in his 20s after beginning animal rights work as a teenager in the 1970s.
As a 15-year-old he camped out in Scotland to guard osprey nests and later went on to work in animal sanctuaries.
In 1988 he was given a six-month suspended sentence for trying to free a dolphin from an amusement park in Morecambe, Lancashire.
In 1999 he was jailed for four years for conspiracy to cause an explosion likely to endanger life after a bomb was found in his car. He served two-and-a-half years and was freed in June 2002.
In 2003 he co-founded the SPEAC group, which later became Speak, and spearheaded opposition to the building of the laboratory for Oxford University.
BigAlan, Eynsham says...
3:16pm Fri 13 Feb 09
cottage2day, Oxford says...
3:30pm Fri 13 Feb 09
Quentin Walker, Oxford says...
3:46pm Fri 13 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
3:55pm Fri 13 Feb 09
barns, oxford says...
4:12pm Fri 13 Feb 09
Kevin_Elliott, Oxford says...
4:15pm Fri 13 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
4:17pm Fri 13 Feb 09
cottage2day, Oxford says...
4:20pm Fri 13 Feb 09
Kevin_Elliott wrote:I 100% agree, do you think these protestors actually know what cures have been found through animal testing. Its either them or us.
Contrary to what AR2048 says, animal testing remains essential to medical research. While test tubes, tissue research and computers can complement animal models, they can't replace animals in the lab. Test tubes and computers won't completely predict a drugs effect on blood pressure, or circulation, or the nervous system, or the drug's effect on pregnancy. Animal models can help there, since animals are a better model for humans than any computer or test tube. Violent campaigns against animal research will not only affect those carrying out life saving research. They will also hurt those humans with life threatening diseases and disabilities. If the animal rights movement had a case, they wouldn't need to resort to violence.
AR2048, says...
4:31pm Fri 13 Feb 09
rockchick1, oxford says...
4:32pm Fri 13 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
4:38pm Fri 13 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
4:42pm Fri 13 Feb 09
Andrew:Oxford, Oxford says...
4:45pm Fri 13 Feb 09
barns, oxford says...
4:48pm Fri 13 Feb 09
dillbert, Witney says...
4:48pm Fri 13 Feb 09
AR2048 wrote:I expect this hypocrite will be down to the doctors tonight for their prescription. we have to accept in these days of disease that remedies need to be tested before they are prescribed to children and the unwell. Ten years is not a moment too long
I trust there will be an appeal, the DNA evidence seemed entirely unreliable, but anyway it makes no difference to the movement for animal rights. Strange how many of those who claim to be against violence actually support extreme and lethal violence against innocent and defenceless animals in labs. NAVS has very recently presented its undercover investigation into the global primate trade for vivisection - see for yourselves what Really goes on inside labs, inside the notorious Huntingdon Life Sciences....you'll see the original violence that Mel and SPEAK are just trying to stop. Anyone who is against randomly killing some humans for the intended medical benefit of other humans should watch the video...it explains why experiments on other species are futile, and dangerously misleading, sometimes fatal for humans.
dr_sam, oxford says...
5:09pm Fri 13 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
5:15pm Fri 13 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
5:19pm Fri 13 Feb 09
cottage2day, Oxford says...
5:25pm Fri 13 Feb 09
AR2048 wrote:So do you agree with what the prat in the article has done?
Andrew - I'm a protester, I'm not someone who supports randomly killing some humans for the intended medical benefit of other humans. Have you watched the video and/or read the report?
AR2048, says...
5:27pm Fri 13 Feb 09
Kevin_Elliott, Oxford says...
5:28pm Fri 13 Feb 09
cottage2day, Oxford says...
5:30pm Fri 13 Feb 09
Kevin_Elliott wrote:Well Said. I don't see how anyone can argue with facts like these
Forty years ago children with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) died at birth. Now they are living into their forties and longer. This is due largely to animal based research. Animals share much of their cellular and genetic material with us, and are better models than test tubes and computers, which have neither cells or genes. Every drug tested on animals is also tested on complimentary models, such as test tubes and computers. If a drug doesn't work in humans, it's also failed with these complementary models. It's now possible to breed rats and mice with the gene that causes CF, giving us realistic models to work with. Again, that's something that can't be done with test tubes and computers. I've recently had major spinal surgery, which has relived some appalling pain I was suffering. Bone was taken from my hip and grafted into my neck. This was only possible thanks to bone fusion research on sheep. Again, that's something that can't be done on test tubes and computers. Animal testing works. If it didn't, I'd still be in pain, and children with CF would still be dying at birth.
AR2048, says...
5:41pm Fri 13 Feb 09
brookesalum, Oxford says...
5:44pm Fri 13 Feb 09
Zimmer, Oxon says...
5:46pm Fri 13 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
5:49pm Fri 13 Feb 09
Sophia, Oxford says...
6:38pm Fri 13 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
6:49pm Fri 13 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
6:54pm Fri 13 Feb 09
Kevin_Elliott, Oxford says...
7:04pm Fri 13 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
7:05pm Fri 13 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
7:16pm Fri 13 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
7:43pm Fri 13 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
10:48pm Fri 13 Feb 09
itsmick, Oxford says...
11:53pm Fri 13 Feb 09
beetle & wedge, Chippy says...
7:08am Sat 14 Feb 09
making sense, oxford says...
7:12am Sat 14 Feb 09
Sophia, Oxford says...
7:45am Sat 14 Feb 09
Zimmer, Oxon says...
1:30pm Sat 14 Feb 09
making sense wrote:There is nothing new to spout they've said it all and are still in a minority unable to convince the majority and a bit like Hitler and Moseley resort to violence to try to get their pointless message across.
He may be locked up. But he must have a P.C. in his luxury room, Cos AR2048 is obviously his new log in. If it is not him, then his mate should be locked up too, before he carries on his work. P.S. AR (is that short for arse?) There are a million pages on the web spouting your propaganda, can't you come up with something original
BigAlan, Eynsham says...
1:43pm Sat 14 Feb 09
tanchris, oxford says...
6:53pm Sat 14 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
8:12pm Sat 14 Feb 09
BigAlan, Eynsham says...
8:17pm Sat 14 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
8:28pm Sat 14 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
8:36pm Sat 14 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
9:04pm Sat 14 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
9:20pm Sat 14 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
9:45pm Sat 14 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
9:53pm Sat 14 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
10:41pm Sat 14 Feb 09
beetle & wedge, Chippy says...
9:28am Sun 15 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
6:36pm Sun 15 Feb 09
tanchris, oxford says...
6:57pm Sun 15 Feb 09
BigAlan, Eynsham says...
7:07pm Sun 15 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
9:14pm Sun 15 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
10:58pm Sun 15 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
11:04pm Sun 15 Feb 09
thekraut, says...
2:49pm Mon 16 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
5:59pm Mon 16 Feb 09
tanchris, oxford says...
10:56pm Mon 16 Feb 09
AR2048 wrote:if we took responsibilityfor our own actions we wouldnt need "human rights".Just a screen for Twats to hide behind.
tanchris says..."...if we had a "human responsibilites" ethos then idiots like Broughton wouldn't get supporters who promote his cause!" So, you think babies, the severely brain-damaged, severely mentally ill etc shouldn't have Rights? How very extreme.
AR2048, says...
12:54am Tue 17 Feb 09
watcher2, england says...
2:53pm Wed 18 Feb 09
AR2048, says...
5:48pm Wed 18 Feb 09
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jamiek, cumnor says...
3:06pm Fri 13 Feb 09