Man given suspended sentence over Paul Givan harassment

A man who sent more than 100 abusive emails to Education Minister Paul Givan and the head of a school at the centre of a football pitch funding row has been given a suspended two-month prison sentence.

John Hendron, 62, subjected Mr Givan and Michael Allen, the principal of Londonderry's Lisneal College, to a campaign of harassment, which involved a series of unfounded allegations and calls for them to resign.

The retired social worker, of Cullingtree Fold on the Falls Road in west Belfast, was sentenced to two months in prison, suspended for two years, at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Friday.

Hendron admitted harassing both men between 8 January and 21 February this year.

At the time, Lisneal College had been embroiled in controversy after reports it had been allocated £710,000 funding for a new pitch.

Police were called in after Mr Givan was targeted in "malicious" communication related to the school.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) minister emphatically denied having any influence over the pitch upgrade, insisting the funding decision had been made by Northern Ireland's Education Authority.

Mr Allen takes up a new post as education adviser for the Strule Shared Education Campus in Omagh on Monday.

The court was told Hendron sent a total of 61 messages to Mr Givan's ministerial and constituency inboxes.

A prosecutor said the emails were primarily focused on the DUP politician's work as education minister and "disapproval of the sender" on how issues including integrated schools and Lisneal College were handled.

"In the emails, Mr Givan was described as such things as a 'bigot', 'sectarian' and 'without integrity' along with calls for his resignation," the prosecution lawyer said.

However, a final message was described as being "apologetic in nature".

When arrested, Hendron made full admissions to the campaign of harassment, telling police: "I have nothing against Mr Givan, I am totally responsible and remorseful about this."

The court was told he sent about 50 emails to Mr Allen over a four-day period, making reference to his job and appearance on a local television programme.

The defendant repeatedly called for the injured party to resign, making unfounded allegations against him, the lawyer said.

Even though Mr Allen did not respond to any of the messages, they continued and became increasingly hostile and included abusive and offensive terms.

The prosecutor added: "He [Mr Allen] was alarmed by the escalation in the tone of the emails and was fearful that the defendant would come to the school to confront him."

Defence solicitor Pearse MacDermott told the court his client's offending was fuelled by alcohol.

"He has also offered to meet both gentlemen to apologise in person; that has been declined at the present time," Mr MacDermott said.

"He has asked me to apologise publicly to both gentlemen for causing any difficulties.

"He's a person of very good standing who basically got involved in very stupid incidents."

Based on Hendron's previous good record, District Judge Alan White imposed a suspended sentence and a two-year restraining order against any contact with Mr Allen.