A TEENAGER who terrorised a Weston family by sending threatening racist letters demanding money has pleaded guilty to blackmail.
A TEENAGER who terrorised a Weston family by sending threatening racist letters demanding money has pleaded guilty to blackmail.
The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, began receiving letters last year which included statements such as: "You are dead you Paki shagger, you traitor, you are a shame to England".
Adam Bowers, aged 19, was sentenced last week at Bristol Crown Court to 28 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years with a 12-month supervision order.
Bowers sent three letters in total, in which derogatory racist remarks were also made about the victim's family members.
Threats were made that if the money was not paid the victim's home 'wouldn't be standing'.
The defendant was arrested the day after the third letter was received by the family.
Forensic analysis of the hand-written letters and a search of Bowers's home provided evidence against him.
The incidents were investigated by North Somerset's hate crime officer, PC Amanda Frost, based at Weston Police Station in Walliscote Road.
She said: "The victim was disgusted that someone could behave in this manner and also frightened for his family."
"During the initial stages of the investigation the victim and his family lived in fear of not knowing who was responsible and felt anxious as to whether the threats made by the suspect would be carried out.
"The racist comments also saddened the victim and caused a lot of upset."
Speaking after the sentence, PC Frost added: "Racist incidents of all kinds will not be tolerated.
"So far this year there have been 151 hate crime incidents in North Somerset involving issues of race and faith.
"Hate crime is an incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person motivated by prejudice or hate of a person's race, faith, sexual orientation or disability. They have been historically underreported, but this is changing."
Anyone who has been a victim of hate crime and would like to speak in confidence is urged to contact PC Amanda Frost on 01934 638225.
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