The Essex Coroner’s Court was the target of a kidnap attempt orchestrated by online anti-establishment cult leader Mark Christopher. Christopher had convinced his followers to storm the courthouse and kidnap Senior Coroner Lincoln Brookes. However, Brookes was delayed in arriving at the courthouse, and instead his colleague, Michelle Brown, was confronted by the group. The group demanded that Brown summon Brookes, and a fracas ensued. Ultimately, the group was arrested, and Christopher and his co-conspirators were found guilty of conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy to commit false imprisonment in Chelmsford Crown Court. Christopher was sentenced to seven years in jail, while the other defendants were imprisoned for 30 months.
Christopher was the leader of the Federal Postal Court, an online cult that offered courses in how to clear debts, win legal redress, and pay taxes. Christopher claimed that his legal jurisdiction extended over any language used in governments, courts, and corporations. He charged £7,449 for an eight-part online course. His teachings included the purported hidden meanings of words used in everyday language, which he claimed had secret, sinister meanings, and were causing harm to people around the world. The cult also attempted to isolate members from their loved ones by teaching them how to “overcome and destroy the devastating effects of narcissists and psychopaths” at a cost of £280.
Christopher and his co-conspirators disrupted court proceedings during the trial by heckling the judge, directly appealing to the jury from the dock, and shouting over evidence. Detectives described Christopher as a “radicaliser,” who recruited followers by exploiting their debts and problems to persuade them that his illegal activities were legal. Essex Police Detective Chief Inspector Nathan Hutchinson believed that Christopher’s case was unlike anything previously seen in the UK courts, and sent shockwaves through Essex’s judicial community.
Dr. Alexandra Stein, a social psychologist and author specializing in cults and totalitarianism, described Christopher’s distorted language as “cult-speak” and noted that he employed techniques to isolate members from their support networks to ensure their loyalty to the group. Nevertheless, the cult members denied that they were part of an “anti-establishment cult” and claimed Christopher was their “teacher” who had enlightened them about things they would never have known
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