Monday, October 14, 2013

Rutland court round up: Martin Brookes cleared of all charges

Good news from the Rutland & Stamford Mercury:
A man accused of stalking and harrassing the chief executive of Rutland County Council and an Oakham town councillor has been found not guilty today (Monday). 
District judge John Temperley found Martin Brookes, 47, of the Willow Crescent, Oakham, not guilty on all four charges at Leicester Magistrates Court. 
Mr Brookes, a former Oakham town councillor, had denied the charges, which related to county council chief executive Helen Briggs and Oakham town councillor Charles Howarth.
Following this case from over the Leicestershire border, it has always seemed to me that Martin Brookes has been more sinned against than sinning. Certainly, the idea that someone can be prosecuted for criticising a local authority is deeply sinister.

Now all Rutland County Council need do is abandon the ludicrous idea of suing three of its own members and it can get back to some kind of normality.

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