Let-off for couple who terrorised judge

A couple who posed as Tony and Cherie Blair to terrorise a judge and her family after they appeared before her in a family court case have escaped jail.

Judge Carol Atkinson had to install a high-tech security system at her home and show her daughter pictures of Gary Hilson, 46, fearing he would approach the teenager.

Hilson and his partner Tracey McCarthy, 39, sent Judge Atkinson a birthday card to her home address saying: ‘Dear Carol, happy birthday. Keep up the good work-stealing for profit.

‘Don’t drink too much raspberry gin and stagger back to South London.

‘Love Tony and Cherie

‘P.S Send my love to Christopher.’

The reference to Tony and Cherie related to former Prime Minster Tony Blair, and his wife, known professionally as Cherie Booth.

The couple appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ before District Judge Tan Ikram, who said: ‘Both defendants were found guilty after trial of an allegation of harassment.

‘In the victim in this case is a judge, and she was at the relevant time undertaking her public duty in relation to family proceedings.

‘Any public servant whether a judge or not, must be allowed to carry out their duties without fear – whether that is fear for themselves or for their family.

He told the couple:’Over a period of time you undertook research on the internet. You accessed her personal email address, her home address and her date of birth.

‘You enquired about the movements of the victim in this case and her family. For what you really did in this case was you told her “We know”.

‘You sent a birthday card to her home address and you sent papers about your case to her personal email address.’

Both received 20 week suspended sentences for their harassment campaign as Judge Ikram blasted them for showing ‘no remorse’.

Westminster Magistrate’ Court heard Judge Atkinson had been left, ‘anxious’ and in fear.

She had to explain what was happening to her family and colleagues at East London Family Court.

Her daughter, just 13, was warned about the Hilson and McCarthy, and told not to answer the front door without checking who it was first.

Giving evidence Judge Atkinson said: ‘I was frankly horrified to find in the bit where it says were the email is from Mr Hilson’s name.

‘To be frank, being there, particularly hearing some of the comments he was making, it was quite intimidating.

‘It became apparent to me during the course of that hearing there must have been extensive inquiries being made by Mr Hilson and Ms McCarthy about details of my private life and the manner in which it was relayed to me was in order to make it clear to me they knew where my children lived, where we went, and where we live.

‘I have never felt as threatened or intimidated as I did in this case. I have never had to step out of a case because someone has done that.

‘In truth the thing which utterly persuaded me to step back was the threat to my children. My youngest child is really nervous, and she really lacks confidence and the school which she is at with her eldest sister is related to the two schools we are governors at.

‘I had to sit down and show her a picture of Mr Hilson because she wanted to know who to look out for on the bus- why the police were coming around and seizing property- and why we had CCTV.

‘We do not open the front door without looking through the spyhole. She still checks the CCTV camera before going to the front door.

It is entirely as a result of this. We have never been alarmed, had CCTV cameras, I had to alert their schools which we were governors at. I mentioned it to the neighbours.’

The pair also lodged official complaints against the judge claiming she has misspent public money after seeking transcripts of the Family Court hearing.

Hilson and McCarthy both of Jodrell Road, Bow, east London each denied one count of harassment without violence but were convicted and sentenced to 20 weeks imprisonment suspended 12 months.

Both had to pay court costs of £500 and are banned from contacting the Judge Atkinson directly or indirectly and cannot make any social media posts relating to her.

ends