High Court dismisses contempt of court application under ‘persons unknown’ injunction as defendant was known to quarry operator

Dale Vincent was a resident of Glyncoch, South Wales, who led protests at Craig yr Hesg quarry on numerous occasions in 2024 and 2025.

The quarry owner, Hanson Quarry Products Europe, secured an injunction against persons unknown in June 2024 which was renewed in June 2025.

The company applied to commit Vincent for contempt of court for breaching the injunction in protests carried out in May and June 2025.

According to Vincent’s counsel, Toby Fisher of Matrix Chambers, Mr Justie Ritchie dismissed the application, finding that Vincent was, at the time the 2024 and 2025 injunctions were granted, well known to the claimant as an instigator of the protest activity, and a person who had repeatedly carried out exactly the conduct the injunctions sought to prohibit.

“The judge accepted the submissions made on Mr Vincent’s behalf that he was not, therefore, a 'person unknown' and was excluded from the scope of the injunction,” Fisher said.

He also noted that Ritchie J distinguished Cuciurean v Secretary of State for Transport & Anor [2022] EWCA Civ 1519 and emphasised the exceptional nature of the “persons unknown” jurisdiction and the importance of personal service on all known persons in relation to whom a cause of action had already accrued.