Suspended term for Tory candidate

Ian Oakley stood down after being arrested over harassment claims

A former Tory candidate who admitted carrying out a campaign of harassment against his Liberal Democrat rivals has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Ian Oakley, 31, who quit as a prospective parliamentary candidate in Watford, admitted five charges of criminal damage and two of harassment.

Oakley, of Ryeland Close, West Drayton, London, appeared before Central Herts Magistrates' Court in St Albans.

He received an 18-week jail sentence suspended for 12 months.

Oakley had asked for 68 other offences to be taken into account.

At August's hearing the court heard Oakley had terrorised Liberal Democrat rivals Sal Brinton and Russell Willson.

He sent them hate mail, made silent phone calls, and daubed graffiti on Mr Willson's house.

Sentencing Oakley, chairman of magistrates Barry Northrop said: "Your offences are quite seriously aggravated by a number of factors.

Fingerprints found

"They were planned, and you clearly ignored the very obvious distress that would be caused to the victims and others who became involved in your campaign of harassment."

The court heard Oakley sent gay and lesbian magazines to Ms Brinton's home and work and made silent late-night phone calls to her.

Oakley also daubed graffiti across Liberal Democrat headquarters in Watford, and slashed tyres of local councillors' cars.

His campaign against Mr Willson from February to May this year included sending letters to him and supporters claiming he was a member of a child abuse ring.

The court heard Oakley was caught out when his fingerprints were found on several items in the case.

Mr Northrop described some of Oakley's abuse as "vile" and said it was a deliberate attempt to "subvert the democratic process".

He said he had taken psychiatric problems revealed by pre-sentence reports into account, as well as Oakley's early guilty plea and his remorse.