Son, 58, jailed af ter sending mother poison pen letters
A ‘DELUSIONAL’ son who sent scores of poison pen letters to his elderly mother and her partner in a bid to split them up was jailed yesterday.
Joseph Carson bombarded his mother, Jane Carson, 80, with dozens of letters and text messages in a bid to bring her relationship with Ronald Moreland, 77, to an end.
Carson, 58, also wrote threatening messages to Mr Moreland, along with friends, neighbours and even their local church during his month-long campaign.
He later explained that he sent the letters in a bid ‘protect’ his mother from Mr Moreland, who he claimed had been ‘threatening’ her.
At Paisley Sheriff Court yesterday, Carson was jailed for eight months and banned from approaching or contacting his mother and Mr Moreland for the next five years.
He admitted sending numerous letters to his mother, the police and council social work chiefs but denied they were abusive or threatening.
The court heard how Carson sent a host of letters to the then-couple, neighbours of both pensioners, and Erskine Parish Church – where his mother went regularly and his father’s ashes
‘Someone who has delusions’
are scattered. In the expletiveriddled letters, he branded Moreland ‘a sleaze’, ‘an abuser of women’ and ‘a vindictive, evil man of malice.’
In another, sent to one of his mother’s friends he, said: ‘I want to take him to where my father’s ashes are for him to beg George [Carson] for forgiveness for what he’s done and what he’s doing to the entire Carson family.’
Giving evidence in his own defence, Carson said he had been ‘trying to put the fear of God’ into Mr Moreland.
He added: ‘I was trying to get rid of Mr Moreland. The police wouldn’t do anything. At the time I thought sending the letters out to protect my mother would be within the law.
‘If I’d went up and hit Mr Moreland that would’ve been outwith the law.
‘I wanted to get rid of Ronald Moreland for the immense damage he had caused.
‘I’m getting punished because the police and everyone else wouldn’t do their jobs.’
Sheriff Seith Ireland was told that Carson had been assessed by a psychiatrist as having ‘delusions’ and ‘a fixation’ about his mother.
It also emerged that Carson had written letters to the sheriff during the trial and made comments about him to people preparing the reports.
Earlier this year he was found guilty over his poison pen campaign, which he carried out between December 13 and 30, 2014.
Sheriff Ireland said: ‘This is an anxious case.
‘You are someone who has delusions, which are of your own making, as to what pertains to your mother.’
Passing sentence, he told Carson: ‘I am of the view that this is such a serious case that a Community Payback Order is not appropriate.
‘The sentence has to be one of a custodial nature.’
He added: ‘Your beliefs are not based on any rational or, indeed, proper basis.’
Sheriff Ireland also imposed a Non-Harassment Order (NHO) on Carson, banning him from approaching or contacting his mother and Mr Moreland and entering their home streets for the next five years.
And he warned Carson he could be jailed for up to five years if he breaches the NHO.
Mr Moreland, who had gone to court to see Carson being sentenced, said: ‘I’m glad it’s over. I feel sorry for him.’
Mrs Carson last night declined to comment.