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A former Conservative candidate MP was today facing a prison sentence after admitting a two-year campaign of intimidation and harassment against his local Liberal Democrat rivals.
Ian Oakley, who resigned as the Tory candidate for Watford, Hertfordshire, after being arrested on July 18, pleaded guilty to 75 charges at St Albans magistrates court today.
The charges faced by the 31-year-old included sending hate mail, vandalising cars and homes and making menacing phone calls.
The chair of magistrates, Barry Northrop, described Oakley's offences as "very, very serious indeed" and warned that the bench would consider a custodial sentence.
Police acted after the Lib Dems handed them a dossier of more than 150 alleged offences stretching back to the general election campaign in early 2005 and continuing until Oakley's arrest.
His direct rival, Sal Brinton, the Lib Dem prospective candidate for Watford, received gay and lesbian magazines through the post and letters saying "go back to Cambridge, you evil *****".
Between August 2006 and March 2008, Oakley, of West Drayton, also made silent phone calls to Brinton's home late at night.
He sent defaced campaign leaflets to her office saying "Sal is a *****" and distributed pamphlets, purporting to be from fellow Lib Dem supporters, urging people to dump her as the party's candidate.
However, it was not just Oakley's political rival who was targeted – people with no affiliation to the Lib Dems other than displaying a poster outside their homes also incurred Oakley's wrath.
The court heard that, on his arrest, Oakley denied all the allegations but said he was "actively involved in campaigning personally in town".
He also claimed that both the Tories and the Lib Dems had been engaging in "robust campaigning".
Oakley left a trail of evidence that would eventually lead to his arrest.
In February he daubed "scum, scum perv" on the outside of Watford councillor Russell Willson's house, not realising CCTV cameras were monitoring the scene.
Like Brinton, Willson was a repeat victim of Oakley, receiving mail accusing him of being a child molester while his neighbours were sent letters alleging that he was part of a paedophile ring.
Prosecutor Donna Rayner said Oakley, who remains an independent councillor for Hillingdon, west London, made a full confession when presented with fingerprint evidence linking him to hate mail.
He said his behaviour had been driven "by the desire to change the political landscape in Watford for the benefit of the Conservative party".
Another Watford councillor, Mark Watkin, was accused of being a paedophile by Oakley in mail sent to his home and his neighbours. Watkin also had all four tyres on his car slashed.
Afterwards, the councilor said the hearing had been "very emotional" for him.
"It was the individual impact of what he did that was so appalling," he said. "I find it quite extraordinary. My daughters were very upset. To see it come to a point of determination was a great relief."
Brinton said she was relieved her nightmare appeared to be coming to an end. "This has been a traumatic period for all those who have suffered from his vile campaign to defame, intimidate and terrorise people simply for expressing support for a political party," she added.
The Lib Dem national chair of campaigns and communications, Ed Davey, revealed he had written to Tory leader David Cameron urging him to hold an inquiry into the "vile campaign".
Oakley, who used to work for the Financial Services Authority, was selected as the Conservative candidate for Watford following a US-style open primary in November 2006.
He admitted five counts of criminal damage and two of harassment, and asked for a further 68 offences to be taken into account. The 68 offences comprised 53 incidents of criminal damage, one of harassment and 14 of malicious communication.
Detective Inspector Mick Trotman, of Hertfordshire police, said that while officers tried to protect the integrity of the election process "the series of incidents were not about politics – they were about victims of crime, many of who were repeat victims".
Oakley was bailed and sentencing adjourned until September 16 in order for psychiatric reports to be compiled.
Ian Oakley, who resigned as the Tory candidate for Watford, Hertfordshire, after being arrested on July 18, pleaded guilty to 75 charges at St Albans magistrates court today.
The charges faced by the 31-year-old included sending hate mail, vandalising cars and homes and making menacing phone calls.
The chair of magistrates, Barry Northrop, described Oakley's offences as "very, very serious indeed" and warned that the bench would consider a custodial sentence.
Police acted after the Lib Dems handed them a dossier of more than 150 alleged offences stretching back to the general election campaign in early 2005 and continuing until Oakley's arrest.
His direct rival, Sal Brinton, the Lib Dem prospective candidate for Watford, received gay and lesbian magazines through the post and letters saying "go back to Cambridge, you evil *****".
Between August 2006 and March 2008, Oakley, of West Drayton, also made silent phone calls to Brinton's home late at night.
He sent defaced campaign leaflets to her office saying "Sal is a *****" and distributed pamphlets, purporting to be from fellow Lib Dem supporters, urging people to dump her as the party's candidate.
However, it was not just Oakley's political rival who was targeted – people with no affiliation to the Lib Dems other than displaying a poster outside their homes also incurred Oakley's wrath.
The court heard that, on his arrest, Oakley denied all the allegations but said he was "actively involved in campaigning personally in town".
He also claimed that both the Tories and the Lib Dems had been engaging in "robust campaigning".
Oakley left a trail of evidence that would eventually lead to his arrest.
In February he daubed "scum, scum perv" on the outside of Watford councillor Russell Willson's house, not realising CCTV cameras were monitoring the scene.
Like Brinton, Willson was a repeat victim of Oakley, receiving mail accusing him of being a child molester while his neighbours were sent letters alleging that he was part of a paedophile ring.
Prosecutor Donna Rayner said Oakley, who remains an independent councillor for Hillingdon, west London, made a full confession when presented with fingerprint evidence linking him to hate mail.
He said his behaviour had been driven "by the desire to change the political landscape in Watford for the benefit of the Conservative party".
Another Watford councillor, Mark Watkin, was accused of being a paedophile by Oakley in mail sent to his home and his neighbours. Watkin also had all four tyres on his car slashed.
Afterwards, the councilor said the hearing had been "very emotional" for him.
"It was the individual impact of what he did that was so appalling," he said. "I find it quite extraordinary. My daughters were very upset. To see it come to a point of determination was a great relief."
Brinton said she was relieved her nightmare appeared to be coming to an end. "This has been a traumatic period for all those who have suffered from his vile campaign to defame, intimidate and terrorise people simply for expressing support for a political party," she added.
The Lib Dem national chair of campaigns and communications, Ed Davey, revealed he had written to Tory leader David Cameron urging him to hold an inquiry into the "vile campaign".
Oakley, who used to work for the Financial Services Authority, was selected as the Conservative candidate for Watford following a US-style open primary in November 2006.
He admitted five counts of criminal damage and two of harassment, and asked for a further 68 offences to be taken into account. The 68 offences comprised 53 incidents of criminal damage, one of harassment and 14 of malicious communication.
Detective Inspector Mick Trotman, of Hertfordshire police, said that while officers tried to protect the integrity of the election process "the series of incidents were not about politics – they were about victims of crime, many of who were repeat victims".
Oakley was bailed and sentencing adjourned until September 16 in order for psychiatric reports to be compiled.
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