ATTEMPTS to constrain a blogger’s online outbursts are to be made by way of a court order, when he is sentenced later this month.
David Lindsay is facing sentence after being convicted on charges relating to ‘poison pen’ letters, one posted to Durham’s former Chief Constable, Mike Barton, and for his efforts trying to evade responsibility for sending them.
A jury at Durham Crown Court found him guilty of sending a letter with intent to cause distress or anxiety and doing an act tending or intended to pervert the course of justice, after a trial in March.
Lindsay, 42, of Foxhills Crescent, Lanchester, denied both counts.
The court heard he was angry at Durham County Council’s decision to review the terms and conditions of teaching assistants.
His mother was one of those teaching assistants at the time.
In the offending letter, on which his fingerprints were found, he “put a price on the heads” of 57 Labour members of the council who voted in favour of the review.
Sentence was adjourned to allow psychiatric and probation reports to be prepared on Lindsay.
Bailing him, Judge James Adkin warned Lindsay to “be careful” about his online activity prior to sentence.
Lindsay was to have appeared for sentence on Friday, but, in his absence, the court was told he was reported to have been taken to hospital with chest pains the previous day.
Judge Adkin adjourned the sentencing until June 10 when Lindsay must provide, “medical evidence justifying his failure to attend court today.”
The judge also asked prosecution counsel Peter Sabiston to draw up draught terms for a proposed criminal behaviour order to restrict Lindsay’s online activity.
“This defendant has a clear proclivity to send intimidating emails to people in authority.
“He needs to know if he does that he will be at risk of going to prison,” added Judge Adkin.
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