Duo waged hate attack

RELIEVED. . . Pub landlord John Weldon

TWO men have been convicted of crimes against a pub landlord who was subjected to a hate campaign.

Paul Thompson (32), of Middleton Road, Royton, and Michael Kenyon (31), of Brownhill Avenue, Royton, were found guilty of criminal damage at Oldham Magistrates Court yesterday.

Thompson was also convicted of two charges of public disorder and one charge of harassment against John Weldon, the landlord of Heyside’s Moss Inn.

Mr Weldon told the court he suffered months of intimidation by thugs wanting him out of his pub. It included internet postings that falsely branded him a paedophile and his partner a prostitute.

The former policeman and teacher claimed his house was vandalised, pub windows were smashed, he received threatening phone calls, and his partner Joanne Beverley and their 12-year-old daughter were verbally abused.

He barred Thompson on December 9 last year for exposing himself and making offensive comments. Thompson twice returned to the pub and was abusive.

On January 26, Thompson and Kenyon sneaked round to Mr Weldon’s near-by house and filled the locks and hinges with expanding foam, destroying the doors.

The harassment charge included Thompson posting two offensive messages on website Facebook, calling for the landlord and his partner to leave the pub. He denied writing any other messages and the other internet postings were not part of the charge.

John Marsh, defending for Thompson, said there were no independent witnesses, no forensics, no evidence from police and that Mr Weldon had made up his accounts.

Stephen Parker, defending for Kenyon, said there was only circumstantial evidence.

But magistrates chairman Anne Barlow said: “Our assessment of the strength and reliability of the evidence is that we found that Mr Weldon’s evidence was consistent and credible even in strong cross-examination. We found Joanne Beverley’s evidence honest and truthful.

“We did not find Paul Thompson a convincing witness nor his accounts credible. We note he’s the kind of person that deliberately sets out to set up a vindictive Facebook website.”

Thompson, a builder, had his sentencing adjourned until October 27 for reports, with all sentencing options open.

Unemployed Kenyon was given a conditional discharge for two years and ordered to pay £200 costs and £200 compensation.

Mr Weldon said: “I’m just totally relieved. We have had a constant nine months of intimidation. We were left completely stressed out. They are nasty. We just told the truth and did it the right way without lowering ourselves to their level.”

He said his partner had to switch where she shopped and his daughter changed schools because of abuse.

He added: “I’m more relieved for my little girl and Joanne as they are the ones that suffered. Financially, they almost sent us under at one point but now we can get on with running the business and make it a nice family pub.”