Mental issues of man who sent vile letters

A MENTALLY unstable man who threatened to “behead all Asians in Oldham” in racist letters sent to police, doctors and social workers, was jailed yesterday.

Gerard Traynor (48) of Sunfield Road, Oldham, was sentenced to four months after pleading guilty to six counts of sending a letter conveying an offensive message.

Traynor, who has autism and mental difficulties, admitted sending six racist and offensive letters to five different people between August 15 and December 11, 2014.

Oldham magistrates heard the details of some of the letters yesterday, some of which were sent to people trying to help him.

In a letter to a probation officer Traynor said “I will get a gun and blow your head off” and “I will kill your wife”. When police questioned him he said he would continue to send out letters.

Defence solicitor Timothy Hughes urged magistrates not to send him to prison: “Mr Traynor suffers from a number of issues; this is someone with a severe mental difficulty. I really believe that all prison will do for Mr Traynor is let him hate himself more.

Magistrate Kathleen Kershaw, chairman of the bench, said: “We feel that the content of the letters is so offensive that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate.”