'Misguided’ activist steals lobster from restaurant to ‘save’ it - but crustacean was used for 'educational' purposes

Ben Chapman
Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:16:27 +0000

A 48-year-old animal rights campaigner has pleaded guilty to criminal damage after snatching a lobster from a Michelin Guide-listed seafood establishment in Dorset.

Emma Smart appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court following the incident at Catch at the Old Fish Market in Weymouth last April.

The activist had assumed the crustacean was destined for diners' plates when she removed it from its tank on the evening of 10 April 2025.

However, Ms Smart was mistaken about the animal's purpose at the restaurant.

Her defence barrister, Kitan Ososami, informed the court that his client had acted on impulse and "cares very deeply about animals".

The lobster had in fact been kept at the venue for educational purposes, serving as a teaching tool for children who visited the restaurant.

Restaurant owner Anthony Cooper had owned the crustacean for two and a half years, and it was never intended for consumption or sale.

The Michelin Guide-listed establishment used the animal to help young visitors learn about marine life.

Ms Smart's attempt to "free" what she believed was a creature facing the cooking pot was therefore entirely misplaced, as the lobster already had a permanent home at the harbourside venue rather than awaiting its fate on a diner's plate.

Ms Smart burst into the restaurant at approximately 9pm and seized the lobster from its tank, despite two members of staff attempting to intervene.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Fury erupts after pair of squatters descend on Cornish village with ponies and Rottweilers

Sheep farmers in major row over plans to reintroduce golden eagle to England

Grand National Festival winner disqualified after jockey whipped horse 11 times

She then made her way outside and dropped the crustacean into the nearby harbour.

Judge Susan Evans addressed the defendant directly about her actions: "You were determined to take [the lobster] 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 fate of the released animal remains uncertain.

Ms Smart, who formerly lived in Weymouth but now resides in west Wales, received an eight-month conditional discharge along with a three-year restraining order prohibiting her from coming within ten metres of the restaurant or making contact with its staff or customers.

The Crown Prosecution Service dropped additional charges relating to causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and an alleged assault involving a staff member.

This was not Smart's first brush with the law. In 2022, she was arrested at the same restaurant after attempting to approach Sir David Attenborough during his visit and refusing to leave when asked.

She also served four months in prison in November 2021 for violating an injunction during an Insulate Britain demonstration.