An anti-vax protester has been found guilty of striking a police horse during a demonstration in Newcastle city centre.
Alexander Warren was part of a rally outside the city's Civic Centre in August last year when he hit a police horse called Patronus, on the rear, Newcastle Magistrates' Court heard.
The 34-year-old of Daryngton House, in Hartington, London, had been standing trial charged with two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. However, Warren was found guilty of one count by Judge Paul Currer following the two-day trial on Friday, July 1.
READ MORE: Anti-vaxxer allegedly struck two police horses during protest in Newcastle City Centre
Omar Ahmad, prosecuting, said Warren attended a Covid-19 anti-vax protest outside the Civic Centre on August 29 last year and seemed to be one of the leaders as he was using a megaphone.
Mr Ahmad said "The Crown's case is that the defendant attended the protest in Newcastle last year and during this protest took leadership and used a megaphone to direct protesters away from the allocated area.
"When he tried to move past police horses, he struck a police horse on the hip with an open palm with force."
The prosecutor said that this action caused "unnecessary suffering" to the horse and that Warren "should have known that these actions would have caused this effect."
Giving evidence, defendant Warren said the police horse was being made to walk in front of him to block his path.
He said that police horse Patronus had "pecked" his head several times and said he was "shocked" by what he described as an "attack" on him, but denied that he had lost control of his emotions and temper before the incident.
He said: "It was quite a shocking incident because the horse was pecking my head. I was being attacked and felt aggrieved and wanted to get out of the situation. Every time I tried to get out of the situation he [the officer] was making the horse step one side in front of me.
"I stepped to my right and pushed the horse's hip and bum area to get the horse and officer away from me to get past the horse."
Warren said that on a scale of one to 10 he used a level four of force in doing so.
The defendant said he had travelled to protest with intention of "raising awareness" and to act "peacefully". He denied organising the protest but said he wanted to direct the crowd to a safer area.
Sophie Land defending Warren, who the court heard was a former professional boxer, said he "did not intend for Patronus to suffer."
She said: "We have accepted that my client travelled up from London to Newcastle to attend the protest. He gave evidence that he was not the organiser of the protest and didn't know who they were.
"He did not know where the designated protest area was. My client describes that things were starting to get more heated and he felt that this was not safe and wanted to get people to an open area where they could gather, so his actions walking past the police horses were reasonable."
She continued: "As a former boxer who would understand the force used on various punches, he would have the best understanding of the force used. He was the person who agreed there was some force was used but not at the level that would cause the horse to suffer."
Judge Paul Currer found Warren guilty of one count of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and adjourned the sentencing until Friday, August 12, at Newcastle Magistrates' Court. He was found not guilty of a second charge.
Judge Currer said he rejected the defendant's claim that the horse was being used to assault him and said he believed the defendant's actions would have caused pain to the horse. He said: "I am sure that the defendant was acting as a leader in this protest. It is clear from his behaviour in the CCTV footage he led others from the council chamber and across Barras Bridge and did this in an attempt to break police lines.
"I am sure that in anger and frustration he lashed out at police horse Patronus. I am sure it was a full-force blow."
Northumbria Police have condemned Warren's actions and said the force will not tolerate such behaviour.
Superintendent Dave Pickett, of Northumbria Police’s Operations Department, said: “Our Mounted Section are a crucial part of our policing family and were there to ultimately protect people. We will not tolerate this kind of behaviour under any circumstances.
“Warren’s actions were totally unacceptable and I would like to thank my colleagues who showed outstanding professionalism and resolve in the face of such needless hostility. Thankfully, since this incident, PH Patronus has received plenty of affection and love from the public and is already looking forward to assisting at future public events.”
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