A Northwich man facing a possible jail term over his long-running campaign against Cheshire West and Chester Council told the court he had suffered a stroke.
Robert Pickthall, 61, of Weaver Road, was handed a three months’ suspended prison sentence in December for breaching an anti-harassment injunction.
Related story: Man who harassed Cheshire West and Chester Council narrowly escapes jail
CWaC was today (June 8) due to make an application at Liverpool Civil and Family Court to activate the suspended sentence alleging there had been further breaches.
But Pickthall, who had fallen ill last Saturday, said he had been advised by doctors he had suffered a stroke but had discharged himself from hospital.
A North West Ambulance Service document was supplied as evidence.
Judge Michael Soole said it was a matter of regret the case would have to be adjourned but he was ‘not prepared to take the risk’ regarding the respondent’s health.
A High Court injunction was imposed on Pickthall after he bombarded CWaC with thousands of emails including allegations of crime, corruption and misconduct.
The respondent was handed a suspended sentence for ignoring the terms of the injunction that prevented him publishing misconduct allegations against councillors and officers on his website or making contact with them.
Barrister Adam Speker, for CWaC, had been due to allege a further eight breaches at today’s hearing where he would have asserted Pickthall should now be sent to prison.
In addition, he would have argued applications by Pickthall seeking £1m damages from the local authority and £60,000 from Mouldsworth Parish Council should be struck off.
And there was an application for the court to make a civil restraint order to prevent the respondent making any more claims as history showed he would ‘simply continue to issue unmeritorious claims’.
The case was adjourned until the first open date after July 1.
Pickthall, who said he would be returning immediately to Leighton Hospital, has been asked to provide a medical report on his condition by June 20.
Should he seek to apply to adjourn any future hearings on grounds of ill health then he must make the application seven days prior and supply an updated medical report.
It was last July that High Court judge Mr Justice Andrew Edis imposed the injunction on Pickthall after concluding he had intended to cause ‘distress’ through a campaign of ‘abuse’.
He said the crusade against CWaC began after a dispute with his landlord in 2010. It continued when he moved to Butchers Stile Playing Field, Davenham, where the respondent believed unlawful development had taken place.
But passing judgment, Mr Justice Edis dismissed Pickthall’s claim his actions were motivated by the intention ‘to expose and prevent crime’.
He wrote: “On the evidence as it stands now, it appears probable to me that he simply wants to cause harm. I consider that it is likely that he is succeeding.”
