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'Misery of the poison pen victims'Dawn Turnbull02/08/2001 A former neighbourhood watch co-ordinator in a village at the centre of a 12-year hate campaign has told how he became one of the many victims, a court heard yesterday. Eric Collin, of Manfield, North Yorkshire, told Teesside Crown Court that he received a stream of derogatory letters and that insulting posters - depicting him as shamed former Liverpool Football Club goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar - were distributed around the village. James Forster, 67, of Kirklea, Grunton Lane, Manfield, which is just outside Darlington, is accused of conducting the hate mail campaign and damaging property in the village between 1987 and 1999. Mr Collin, who lived opposite Mr Forster, said at first he and the accused were on friendly terms, although not friends. He told the court that they had both been on the parish council together. But Mr Collin said that the letters and posters began appearing after he helped Mr Forster's former neighbour Roy Kellett set up a trip-wire system. This was designed to trap whoever was causing damage at Mr Kellett's home, which the prosecution claim was Mr Forster. Mr Collin told the court that after that there was no contact between himself and Mr Forster. But Mr Collin was "aware of disapproval" and said: "He just looked as if he hated my guts." Other people in the village were also sent anonymous letters saying Mr Collin had been spreading rumours about them or "shopping them" to the police or Department of Social Security. Mr Kellett told the jury that his house had been targeted by paint bombs. These were light bulbs filled with paint, thrown at the walls, doors and a path. He said in his opinion the bulbs had come from the direction of Mr Forster's garden. He also described three occasions when his car was damaged. Acid was thrown over the vehicle, tacks were scattered across his drive, puncturing all four tyres, and his back windscreen was smashed. His daughter Joanne, then 21, was also targeted, the court was told. In a police statement read to the court, she described receiving letters falsely branding her as a prostitute. She described the sexually obscene letters as "offensive, abusive and insulting". Miss Kellett, a Teesdale District Council accountant, told police that she began receiving letters soon after moving to Manfield with her parents in 1989. She told how she had received a letter of a sexual nature, and that following that her parents, and even Mr Collin when Miss Kellett's parents were away, intercepted the letters so she would not see them. The court also heard that she recalled opening one letter when her parents were away which left her frightened and distressed. Miss Kellett said that she was aware there were documents of an obscene nature about her being distributed around the village. Mr Forster denies 11 charges, including three of threatening to destroy or damage property, three of damaging property, three of sending indecent or obscene mail, one of incitement to commit burglary, and one of putting a person in fear of violence. The trial continues. • Back
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