A CORONER who was allegedly subjected to an attempted kidnapping was told by police the threats he received from an anti-establishment group were “the sort of thing you would expect to happen”.

Four defendants from Benfleet and London are standing trial for conspiracy to kidnap and conspiracy commit false imprisonment after they stormed Essex Coroner’s Court in Chelmsford last April.

Mark Christopher, 58, Matthew Martin, 47, Shiza Harper, 45, and Sean Harper, 38, were allegedly targeting the senior coroner for Essex, Lincoln Brookes, and sent him a series of letters in 2022.

Emotional - Lincoln Brookes was close to tears when he told the court about the attempts people were making to kidnap himEmotional - Lincoln Brookes was close to tears when he told the court about the attempts people were making to kidnap him (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

Mr Brookes told Chelmsford Crown Court on Wednesday the letters were “unusual”, and he could not understand them.

He said: “When I opened the first one, I couldn’t make any sense of it.

“It was written in such a way that it was gobbledegook – gibberish.”

He continued: “Sometimes I do get letters where people are distraught – I tried to make sense to see what they wanted from me and if I can I help, but I couldn’t make any sense of it whatsoever.”

The court heard how Mr Brookes sought legal advice because he felt the “sheer number” of letters was a form of harassment.

The letters ceased until April last year, when Mr Brookes received an email which appeared to be a warrant from a self-proclaimed ‘chief federal postal court judge’ telling him he would be arrested.

The email threatened Mr Brookes with corporal punishment and accused him of necromancy.

He then contacted Essex Police’s detective chief inspector Rob Huddlestone as he felt it was “a serious threat”.

When asked whether he thought the police were taking the threat seriously, Mr Brookes said: “No, not really to be honest.

Inquest - coroner Michelle Brown was holding an inquest when the defendants, who were looking for Lincoln Brookes, stormed the courtInquest - coroner Michelle Brown was holding an inquest when the defendants, who were looking for Lincoln Brookes, stormed the court (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

“The outcome was they felt the risk was low and, as far as this is concerned, this is the sort of thing you would expect to happen."

Christopher, of Claremont Road in Forest Gate, Martin, of Evelyn Denington Road in Newham, Harper, of Benfleet Park Road in Southend, and Harper, of the same address, stormed the court on April 20.

The defendants instead found deputy coroner Michelle Brown, with one saying he was a high court judge and needed to know where Mr Brookes was.

“I had been accused of interfering with the dead,” she said.

The trial continues.