A TORY city councillor was found guilty of harassing an ex-business partner and his wife by making threats through e-mail, telephone calls and calling at their home.

Max Edwin Aaron Drury, 61, of Clifford Drive, Chester, managing director of Chester Mobility Centre, fell out with co-owner James Meadows.

Mr Meadows, of Longfield Avenue, Upton, had resigned as company secretary and financial controller on February 18 on grounds of ill health.

He took money from the company, which Drury believed amounted to embezzlement but which Mr Meadows said was an advance on his dividend.

Drury, member for Curzon & Westminster, posted a printed e-mail through the Meadows’ letter box, copied to many recipients including police and city council leader Margaret Parker, which said Meadows was incompetent through drink, was suicidal and had “robbed” the company.

Prosecuting, Amanda Roberts told Chester magistrates yesterday that Drury made 10 phone calls to the Meadows’ household the same day. On February 27, Mr Meadows’ wife, Joanne, received a phone call from Drury, who asked:“What’s it like living with a robber?”

She asked Drury to stop harassing her, to which he replied: “No, I won’t stop”.

The next day, Drury rang Mr Meadows and said: “You have been running away to Gareth Kelly, the solicitor, again. You are going to be dead by the weekend.”

Mr Meadows called police to book an appointment but the next morning Drury turned up at their home, demanding the company car, keys and a mobile phone from Mrs Meadows while placing his foot inside the doorway.

Mr Meadows, who had just got out of the bath, heard Drury shout up the stairs: “My brothers from Wrexham are going to come down and kill you.”

Mr Meadows told Drury he would call the police, to which he heard Drury respond: “I’m a councillor. They can’t touch me.”

An harassment order was served on Mr Drury by police officers but he refused to read or to sign it. PC Mark Hughes said: “He said that as a councillor he should be treated differently to everybody else and that he was above suspicion.”

The next day, he breached the order by ringing the Meadows’ home to ask for a password for the laptop computer from their young daughter and was later arrested and charged with harassment.

Mr Meadows told the court he earned an £18,000 salary but had traditionally drawn in advance on the dividend from his shares instead of taking it as a lump sum.

His explanation for the money owed was that there had been no profit that year and therefore he agreed to repay £10,000 from the sale of a maisonette house and had now repaid £5,000 with the rest to follow once the company’s accounts had been finalised.

Ceri Evans, defending, argued Drury – who was elected to the new shadow Cheshire West and Chester Council in May – had acted reasonably in the particular circumstances.

District Judge Nicholas Sanders said Drury had been unreasonable in his actions.

Drury was fined £350, with costs of £600, ordered to pay a £15 victim surcharge and made subject to a two-year restraining order which means he cannot contact the Meadows.