Witness Statement of Charlie Boss and Exhibit CB1

Docusign Envelope ID: ABA671A3-E271-4EC4-AB06-1088FEC37456

23. Further to the abovementioned statements in respect of horseracing, AR continues to

champion other disruptive action. Indeed, it appears to me that disruption remains at the

core of AR’s ideology as a method to achieve media attention and further its agenda, as Mr

Truesdale noted had been the case in 2024 (Truesdale 2, paragraph 17). By way of

example , and further to the references noted above under the pages of AR’s website

entitled “ Taking animal rights to trial ” and “ Our history” :

23.1

Under the “ CAMPAIGNS ” section of AR’s website, AR includes a page entitled “ FREE

THE MBR BEAGLES. ” Here, AR celebrates its actions in 2022 by taking 18 beagle dogs from Marshall BioResources Acres, 36 a facility where I understand dogs are bred for the purpose of developing lifesaving therapies for humans - as well as for veterinary treatments for animals. 37 AR notes that a criminal trial in respect of the

actions of several of its supporters involved in the stunt would begin in December

2025, heralded by AR as “ the trial of the decade ”, which “ could not be more

important .”

A video post on AR’s X feed on 17 April 2025 38 showed AR supporters (including Mr

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Kidby and Mr Newman) on their way to Court in connection with charges brought

against them for their taking animals from the facility in 2022. One individual states

that he considered he was not guilty of burglary, because he did not go into the facility

with the intention of committing burglary but the intention of rescuing the dogs. Mr

Kidby stated that despite his fears of being away from his unborn child if sent to

prison, ultimately, he was “ proud ” of his actions, and that “ rescuing those dogs was

one of the best things I have ever done in my life ” . Mr Newman stated that he found it

very difficult to imagine that the jury would find them guilty.

A press release posted on AR’s website on 1 April 2025, 39 stated that four AR

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campaigners were found guilty in a trial of public nuisance, celebrating the

“ succession of nationwide actions taken by Animal Rising in September and October

2022, which saw dairy trucks immobilised, milk shortages on supermarket shelves,

milk pours at department stores and more.” Comments by Mr Newman included in the

press release, provided as follows:

“Those who took part in our peaceful campaign against dairy giants didn’t do

so lightly. They felt compelled to take action because of the environmental

destruction and animal suffering caused by this outdated, harmful system.”

36 Pages 63 of CB1 37 Pages 104 - 108 of CB1 38 Pages 109 of CB1 39 Pages 110 - 111 of CB1

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