I’m very relieved that Ian Oakley, the former Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Watford, has finally been sentenced for his part in the campaign of criminal damage, harassment and intimidation against the Watford Liberal Democrats. Oakley has made the lives of well over 30 people a misery for the last two and a half years.
I was with Mark Watkin, another of Oakley’s targets, in court yesterday (Monday 13 October), to hear the verdict. It was depressing to hear the detail of the many incidents recounted again by the CPS, but very reassuring when the wheels of justice moved into action, and the magistrates gave their detailed sentence for his crimes.
Barry Northrop, the Chairman of the Bench, said Oakley had ignored the distress caused to victims and others in his campaign of hate, that it was particularly vile, and the court could not ignore that it was Oakley’s intent to subvert the democratic process of this country. He also said that some of the victims were caused fear, inability to sleep at night, and became fearful of exercising their democratic right as a part of Oakley’s campaign.
I really want to offer my thanks to the Hertfordshire police for their careful work in catching Oakley, and we hope that this unpleasant chapter is now over, and that the sentence sends out a clear message that the courts take subversion of the democratic process very seriously.
The only unfinished element of this whole sorry episode is that the Conservative Party, both in Watford and nationally, have neither apologised for Oakley’s behaviour, nor instituted an inquiry to understand how he was able to get away with his campaign and ensure that it will never happen again. I urge them to do so now.
* Sal Brinton is Watford Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate.
Editor’s note: Sal was interviewed for BBC1’s The One Show; you can watch an extract here in which she talks about what it was like to be on the receiving end of a two-and-a-half year campaign of harrasment and intimidation.
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6 Comments
Good riddance to Mr Oakley. The world of politics is better off without having him around.
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Can I pay tribute to Sal and the other victims for not giving in to Oakley, in what must of been a difficult and painful few years.
A case of pot and kettle.
Myself and my husband – former members – were subjected to a similar campaign of hate and malicious blog postings, comments and messages BY THE LIB DEMS in 2006 yet none of the culprits were punished or sentenced.
Probably because we were too nice to take the case to Court.
But how on earth can you justify celebrating this while your own members are guilty of equally terrible behaviour?
And I am still seeing nasty and libellous postings about me to this day despite the fact I left the party nearly three years ago.
As always, it is one rule for the Lib Dems and one rule for the rest of the universe or for normal society.
You disgust me.
Anonymous – you are Ian Oakley and I claim my £5…
Dan – I suspect I know it’s not Mr Oakley, but a couple, who were members and who had a blog that attracted several people that took the piss.
They claim they are still getting nasty postings and messages, but what I’ve seen is them post on several Lib Dem blogs, usually in an inflamatory manner, and then act shocked when people respond in a not too friendly manner.
I know I’m not following my own advice, but it’s actually best not to get into a debate with them. After nearly three years they *still* trawl Lib Dem blogs looking for arguments to get into, as the resulting fight seems to reinforce their perceptions.
For the record, a sustained campaign of homophobic hate mail and criminal damage are illegal. Sarcastic posts about your blog and your self-perception are clearly horrible and unacceptable, but not at all comparable.
To be honest, it disgusts me that you’d even try to make the comparison.
In what way was Oakley’s campaign “homophobic”? Sal Briton is a self declared Christian and mother of 4 (or is it 6?). Its not the fact that the material sent to her was “Lesbian” but that it was porn that made it offensive. One of her supporters was accused of pedophilia, this was horrible but does not represent homophobic hate crime.