Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
‘REMOVE STORY OR I’LL STAB YOU’
MAN THREATENED GAZETTE EDITOR IN CRAZED RANT
A carer threatened to drive his car through the front window of a newspaper office and stab its editor in the face.
Robert Mansfield made “graphic and disturbing” threats to Leo Whitlock, who was then the editor of this newpaper, after becoming angry over a Kentonline article.
In a heated phone call, the 24-year-old demanded the story – in which he was named as the victim of a stabbing – be removed.
Magistrates in Margate heard how Mr Whitlock declined and father-of-two Mansfield flew into a rage.
John Bishop, prosecuting, said: “He started shouting and screaming and threatened to stab him in the face and put him six feet under.
“Mr Whitlock said he was fully entitled to run the story.”
Mansfield, of Margate Road, Ramsgate, then went to the Thanet Extra office and made distressing comments to three members of staff.
He told one he would crash into the office, before driving up and down the road outside.
John Bishop, prosecuting, said Mansfield, who is a fulltime carer for an autistic friend, told staff members: “I will stab Leo and do to him what was done to me.”
“He also said he would drive to the Whitstable office.”
In a statement read out by Mr Bishop, Mr Whitlock said Mansfield had intentionally made the staff feel vulnerable and scared. “It caused an enormous amount of disruption,” said the former editor, who now works as head of communications at Canterbury City Council.
“He threatened to come to find me as I was sitting at my desk in Deal and we had to close the Deal office. We had to take sensible precautions to make sure I was safe and to keep my family safe.
“I had to call my wife to tell her what was happening.
“His actions were distressing for a large number of people. He very obviously wanted us to feel threatened.”
Mr Bishop said when interviewed, Mansfield admitted he had “lost it” and said he made the call but denied making the threats.
He was charged with making a threatening phone call and causing harassment, alarm or distress using threatening, abusive or insulting words or disturbing behaviour.
Ian Bond, defending, said Mansfield accepted that the way he went about things was completely wrong and that it was a “flash in the pan” moment.
The online story Mansfield wanted removed referred to an aggravated burglary in which he was stabbed in the face.
During the court case, accusations were made by his attackers that he was a drug dealer.
“There was no evidence of this and it was completely denied by Robert Mansfield,” said Mr Bond.
“At the time, he was involved with social services in trying to have his five-year-old child returned home to him.
“In his mind, the (online) report may have been seen by them.”
Mr Bond said after the October 18 incidents, Mansfield offered to write a letter of apology to Mr Whitlock.
Magistrate Peter Gill said he took the terrifying and graphic phone calls seriously but also took into account Mansfield’s offer of an apology.
“What you have to realise is that the KM acted lawfully, they are allowed to report anything they hear in a public court,” he said.
“You can’t go around harassing them afterwards.”
Mansfield was given a restraining order banning him from going near or making any contact with Mr Whitlock, the three members of staff or any of the KM Group offices, for the next six months.
If he breaches this order he faces a prison sentence.
He was also ordered to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work over the next year.