Leslie Gornall jailed after sending malicious mail messages (From The Northern Echo)

Leslie Gornall jailed after sending malicious mail messages

8:54am Monday 22nd March 2010 in

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A MAN who avoided a prison sentence after carrying out an obscene hate campaign against a former councillor is behind bars.

Leslie Gornall was given a 12-month community order, to include probation supervision, after admitting responsibility for the malicious mail messages sent to his neighbours, at Durham Crown Court, last August.

The order was imposed following his guilty plea to sending an obscene article by post, claiming there was to be a “swingers’ party” at the home of a former councillor.

But Gornall was brought back before the court last week, having been remanded in custody for failing to comply with the terms of the order.

The court was told he failed to attend probation sessions three times.

Don MacFaul, prosecuting, said when interviewed about the breaches, he displayed “utter contempt” for the order.

“He thought it was a joke and decided not to co-operate with the probation service manager.

“When he failed to attend another appointment, he said he thought the order was ‘stupid’ and he wouldn’t engage in supervision,”

said Mr MacFaul.

He said that, having failed to attend another session, Gornall claimed it was because his mother was ill, but after another missed appointment, breach proceedings were instigated via South Durham Magistrates’ Court.

But, having failed to attend two appointments to prepare a probation report, and then a subsequent court appearance, he was arrested on a warrant on February 25.

Annelise Haugstad, mitigating, said there had been no repeat of his offending following his conviction over the lewd mail messages.

But she added that he has been punished having spent his first period in custody.

“He accepts now that it was a stupid thing he did and he had to be punished,” she said.

But Recorder Ben Nolan told Gornall: “You’ve shown utter contempt for the community order and did your best to avoid it.

“Why shouldn’t I send you to prison?

“It was an unpleasant offence and I can see no alternative but to send you to a period in prison.”

Gornall, 40, of Wells Grove, Willington, County Durham, was given a five-month prison sentence.