A Tory parliamentary candidate who bombarded his Liberal Democrat rival with hate mail and vandalised the party's Watford headquarters was facing jail today after admitting more than 70 offences of criminal damage and harassment.
Ian Oakley, 31, of West Drayton, northwest London, admitted mounting a two-year hate campaign against Sal Brinton, who he considered his main rival to defeat the sitting Labour MP.
Oakley admitted making silent phone calls to her home and sending lesbian magazines and letters addressed to The candidate, who resigned from the Conservative Party after his activities were discovered, also slashed tyres and wrecked shutters at the party's local offices.
His campaign of harassment was motivated by a “desire to change the political landscape in Watford" after he was chosen to be Tory candidate in 2006, St Albans Magistrates Court heard.
Donna Rayner, for the prosection, said he targeted Ms Brinton because he regarded her as his "main rival" to unseat Claire Ward, who had retained the seat for Labour in 2005.
“Mrs Brinton had lesbian magazines sent to her home address and her work address," she said. ....
...... His extraordinary campaign later broadened to include anyone associated with the Watford Lib Dems. From February to May this year, Oakley hounded Russell Wilson, a Watford borough councillor, with letters accusing him of paedophilia and daubed graffiti on his home branding him a "scum scum perv".
“Letters were in fact sent to his neighbours stating he was a member of a child-abuse ring,” Ms Rayner said. .......
....... Barry Northrop, the magistrates' chairman, adjourned sentencing until September 16 for reports, including psychological reports, to be prepared.
He told Oakley: “The nature of this abuse to the victims was particularly offensive.
“Both the harassment and the criminal damage offences were targeted very often to homes of the individuals involved and were vindictive in nature."
He added: “We cannot ignore the stated intent to interfere with the democratic process.
“We do have to say that we regard the charges and the offences against you as to be very, very serious indeed - so serious that custody would be an option."
Speaking outside the court, Mr Watkin, 60 years, a Watford Borough Councillor for the Nascot ward who was targeted by Oakley for more than a year, spoke of the distress caused to himself and his family.
The former church warden said Oakley had sent his neighbours letters containing the names of children he was supposed to have abused and the dates on which he was allegedly convicted.
“I was upset, hurt and damaged by this but the biggest impact was on my family," he said. “I have two grown-up daughters and they were very upset that their father was being accused of these things."
Mr Watkin added: “He’s got too near my family in a way no-one else has, and I just want to see justice done when he is sentenced.”
The Liberal Democrats said they were pleased Oakley had been brought to justice, called on David Cameron to launch an inquiry into the "vile campaign."
Oakley was granted bail until sentencing, on the condition he does not contact a list of people named by the court.
Source: Times (edited)