A POLITICAL blogger given a suspended prison sentence for sending a threatening letter and over attempts to then evade responsibility, is seeking to appeal the conviction.

David Lindsay said he will “devote the rest of my life to the cause” to clear his name.

It follows his conviction after a Durham Crown Court trial, in March, for malicious communication and perverting the course of justice.

The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts to both counts, denied by Lindsay.

It was over an anonymous letter sent to then Durham Chief Constable, Mike Barton, “putting a price on the heads” of 57 named Labour members of Durham County Council who voted for a review into teaching assistants’ conditions, in 2017.

Lindsay’s own mother worked as a teaching assistant at the time.

His finger prints were found on the envelope and when charged over the sending of it, he tried to defer responsibility by writing further letters purportedly putting a threat on his own life, and arranging for a fellow blogger in the US to post them back to clergy in his home community of Lanchester,

The 42-year-old, of Foxhills Crescent, was given a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, with 300 hours’ unpaid work, at the court, sitting in Newcastle, on Wednesday.

Judge James Adkin made an indefinite criminal behaviour order, forbidding Lindsay contacting the 57 councillors, witnesses in his case and a US investigator.

He was also prohibited from posting anonymous communications or using pseudonyms in such communication.

Despite the judge telling Lindsay he was convicted on “overwhelming evidence”, the defendant said he now plans to appeal.

In a statement issued after the sentencing hearing he said: “Once funds permitted, then there would be an appeal against my conviction.

“I am prepared to devote the rest of my life to that cause.”

He added: “Until the beginning of the appeals process, there will be no further comment from me either on my conviction or on my sentencing.”