AN ANIMAL rights activist has likely killed what she believed to be a lobster after throwing the crustacean into the cold sea.
The creature was revealed to be a crayfish and is believed to have died the moment it hit the water due to the sudden change in temperature.
An eco-warrior snatched the ‘lobster’ from a posh fish restaurant Credit: BNPS
Emma Smart, 47, appeared in court Credit: BNPS
Emma Smart, 47, ran into Michelin Guide restaurant Catch in Weymouth, Dorset and thinking it was going to be eaten.
However, the shellfish belonged to the restaurant’s owner Anthony Cooper for two-and-a-half years and was not for sale.
It shared a tank with another crustacean that was kept by the eatery as a pet, affectionately named Ronnie and Reggie.
Cooper revealed the so-called lobster was in fact a crayfish, a species usually found in the warmer waters of the Mediterranean.
it but in fact is likely to have killed it after she threw it into the chilly harbour waters “like a cricket ball”.
Its fellow tankmate has since died, possibly due to loneliness following the loss of its friend.
CCTV footage from April 10 shows Emma fending off two employees and , which the restaurant kept for educational purposes when children visited.
Smart, who lives in West , admitted to one count of causing criminal damage to a lobster at Crown Court.
She was given a conditional discharge lasting for eight months and a three year restraining order banning her from going within 10 metres of the restaurant or approaching staff or guests.
Cooper said he was “deeply disappointed” in the outcome of the case.
Defending, Kitan Ososami said Smart, a marine biologist, “acted on impulse”.
“She cares very deeply about animals and marine welfare and this was the driving factor behind her committing this offence,” Ososami added.
Restaurateur Sean Cooper said he was “deeply disappointed” with the outcome of the case Credit: BNPS
Cooper also revealed the crustacean was in fact a crayfish Credit: BNPS
Her Honour Judge Susan Evans said: “The lobster was not there for consumption. It was there for educational purposes.
“You were determined to take it from the tank and you placed it in the harbour.
“It was a deeply misguided thing to have done.
“It was not a good thing for the lobster at all and whether or not it survived, we don’t know.”
The Catch at the Old Fish Market is a Guide restaurant whose diners have included .
Smart had previously appeared in court over an incident in 2022 when she tried to barge her way in to speak to veteran broadcaster and naturalist.
She urged Sir David to support climate activists in and refused to leave when asked, shouting up the stairs where he was eating with his production team.
Smart was dragged out by two officers and the restaurant owner but continued to her tirade outside.
She was issued with a section 35 dispersal order and then arrested for failing to comply with it.
Smart was later cleared of the charge when a judge ruled she had not been given enough time to comply with the order.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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