Man’s campaign of racist letters

A MAN who bombarded Oldham police with abusive letters told Oldham magistrates he “won’t do anything bad again.”

Stanley James Garner (66) of Horsedge Street, Oldham, admitted sending a particularly offensive and racist letter between February 26, 2010 and May 24, 2011 — but when questioned said he had sent many more.

He claimed he was angry over what he deemed to be an “insurance fraud” some time ago and had written to officers using racist language to vent his frustration.

Prosecutor Julie Spaven said: “Garner started his campaign six years ago when he admitted liability to an accident involving an Asian taxi driver.

“He wanted to pay him without contacting the insurance companies but police got involved and the taxi driver was awarded £9,000. He (Garner) was not happy about that.

“And that was the reason why he was sending the letters.”

She said he had previously been cautioned for sending offensive mail in April, 2010, but had ignored the warning.

One of the letters read: ‘I will get my story out and my friends and relatives will break your bones.’

Mr Paul Bradbury, defending, said Garner had never been in trouble with the law before last year and had had “a bee in his bonnet” since the incident.

“He isn’t a racist person. He knows Asian people himself and he was not intentionally racist.”

Mr Bradbury said his client, who suffers with arthritis in his legs and hands, had already served 24 hours in custody, which was quite a significant amount of time for someone his age.

Chair of the magistrates, Alan Greenwood, told Garner: “We appreciate your frustration. It is the way you are going about it that is the problem.”

He gave Garner a 24-month conditional discharge and warned him he will be before the courts again if he continues to write abusive mail.

Garner must also pay £85 court costs.