A councillor has been jailed for sending a threatening email to a council chief executive.
Peter Little was serving a suspended jail sentence at the time of the offence on September 4 after he was convicted for a string of offences which included hurling homophobic abuse towards police officers.
Little, 37, who represents the Maryport South ward on the borough council, was subsequently removed from the Allerdale Independent Group after he threatened neighbours during a parking dispute in May and abused police officers.
His behaviour included threatening to spit at officers and hurling homophobic abuse at female officers.
Magistrates sentenced him to 12 weeks custody, suspended for 12 months.
Any councillor who is given a sentence – suspended or otherwise – of three months or longer is automatically removed from office under Section 80 of the Local Government Act 1972.
Legally a three-month sentence equates to 13 weeks, not 12, which means the legislation did not apply in this context.
However, Little again appeared in court today and was sentenced for the latest offence, which involved him sending a threatening email to Allerdale Borough Council Chief Executive Andrew Seekings – 11 days after he was given a suspended jail sentence.
A threat was also made towards Workington MP Mark Jenkinson in the same correspondence.
Little, of Grasmere Terrace in Maryport, was jailed for 18 weeks for the most recent offence.
Cumbria Crack has contacted Allerdale Borough Council for comment.
