A Lichfield councillor has revealed he has received death threats following his appeal for tough sentences for five people who admitted conspiracy to supply cannabis.
Tina Gair (45), her husband Richard (47), and their son Duane (20), all from Meadowbrook Road in Lichfield, one of their daughters, Kerry Gair (24) from Leyfields in Lichfield, and Patsy-Anne Lenton (37) from Stychbrook Gardens in Lichfield, had initially pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis vegetation following a trial at Stafford Crown Court. But they changed their plea to guilty during the trial. All will be sentenced on November 20.
Following the case, Cllr John Walker (Ind, Curborough) urged the authorities to hand tough sentences down to them – and have them removed from the area for good.
But his comments have now led to death threats and police involvement.
Cllr Walker explained:
“I received a call from a man calling himself Peter who told me he wasn’t happy with my comments and that I had to get them removed from The Lichfield Blog or else.
“He then told me that I would be dead within two hours and that someone was already on the way to sort it. It was at this stage that I rang the police to ask them to have a word with the man – because he gave me his telephone number!”
Despite the threats – which have also seen people knocking on Cllr Walker’s door to complain about his comments – Cllr Walker has asked the police not to take formal action and added that any threats only strengthen his views on the issue.
He continued:
“The police did ask me if I wanted to make a formal complaint, but I asked them to just track him down and have a word with him about it.
“It’s not the first time I’ve been threatened and it probably won’t be the last, but it does show that the truth seems to hurt.
“People who do this sort of thing are a bit silly if they think they’re going to get me to change my views by threatening me – if anything this sort of thing makes my feelings even stronger on the issue.”
No-one from Staffordshire Police was available for comment.
