Location: Westbury, Wiltshire
Affiliations: Wiltshire Hunt Sabs, Salisbury plain hunt sabs (formerly Moonraker Hunt Saboteurs)
Harassing the Royal Artillery Hunt
Andrew Purbrick first came to prominence in December 2022 after the Royal Artillery Hunt (RAH) claimed he was trespassing on Ministry of Defence (MoD) property and harassing RAH staff. His ridiculous antics during this sabotage mission caused significant disturbance. Purbrick is an acolyte of Neil Geraghty, the aggressive sab who runs a painting company (Neil Geraghty Limited).
During the December incident, Purbrick felt compelled to steal a member of the RAH's staff’s car keys, pretending that they had stolen their sab-camera – an act which he did not deny. Subsequently, he then tried to foolishly flee down the road, indicating his guilt, whilst his saboteur team continued to harass and distract staff.
When confronted he then attempted to blackmail the RAH staff, saying he’d cut a deal if they wanted their car keys back and insulting the staff as “lying sods”. Realising he’d been caught red-handed and clearly embarrassed, and rather than simply admitting his fault and coming to a peaceful resolution by returning what he’d illegally stolen, Purbrick threw the staff’s keys into parkland and told them to “f*** off”.
RAH staff were forced to call the police during this sab-driven, unnecessary chaos. After police mediation, it was discovered that no one had stolen Purbrick’s camera; in fact, he had just dropped it in the woods somewhere.
Boxing Day Violence
Purbrick’s antisocial behaviour doesn’t stop there. Only a year earlier, Purbrick led and instigated a violent clash with hunt supporters during a Boxing Day hunt parade on 27 December 2021. The incident occurred outside the Red Lion pub in Lacock, Wiltshire as the Avon Vale Hunt passed through.
The BBC reported that Purbrick faced subsequent legal trouble after he was filmed putting a hunt supporter in a headlock. He was arrested and charged with a Public Order Act offense: using threatening or abusive words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of violence. Purbrick was accompanied by Adrian Earl who faced the same charge. Earl was accused of smashing a mobile phone out of someone's hand.
Typically, both Purbrick and Earl denied any wrongdoing.
Geraghty is also alleged to have been at the boxing day event, aiding and abetting Purbrick’s violent desires – quite the pairing.
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