Paisley Daily Express

Poison pen letter son banned from two towns for life to protect mum

- CARLA TALBOT

A man who hounded his own mum with poison pen letters has been banned from two Renfrewshi­re towns for the rest of his life in a bid to keep him away from her.

Joseph Carson was slapped with the life-long ban preventing him from entering Erskine and Renfrew - which are where the homes of his 84-year-old mother and de-facto adopted sister are located.

Carson was convicted at Paisley Sheriff Court last month of breaching Non-Harassment Orders (NHOs) which banned him from contacting his mum Jane Carson and Gayle and Alan McMillan.

Carson denied he’d done anything wrong but he was found guilty of the three charges he faced by a jury.

He appeared in the dock on Thursday for sentencing where he was warned if he continued to breach court orders he could go to jail for the rest of his life.

Sheriff David Pender jailed Carson for 20 months and imposed a life-long NHO, which means he will never be allowed to contact his mum or the McMillans again.

He was also given the life-long Anti- Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) banning him from Erskine and Renfrew.

Sheriff Pender said: “If you continue to conduct yourself in the manner in which you have repeatedly, you might well spend the rest of your life in custody.”

The 63-year-old was convicted following a trial in March of breaking a 2017 court ban on contacting his mum, Jane Carson, by posting her a 84th birthday card.

When he sent the birthday card, last July, Carson was the subject of a Non-Harassment Order (NHO).

It had been imposed at Paisley Sheriff Court on September 1, 2017, after he inundated Mrs Carson, and her former boyfriend, Ronald Moreland, with poison pen letters.

Joseph denied breaking the NHO, claiming it was invalid as his date of birth had been incorrectl­y recorded on the court document.

He also denied breaking an NHO preventing him from contacting Gayle McMillan, a woman who was taken in by the Carsons when she was a teenager, and her husband, Alan McMillan.

Carson was made the subject of a 10-year-long NHO in relation to Mr and Mrs McMillan, in November 2019, after hounding them with hate-filled letters for over five years.

But he put posters up in Renfrew in March last year, claiming the McMillans were criminals, and sent letters to their neighbours.

In 2014, he was placed on a Community Payback Order after being convicted of assaulting his mum and Mr Moreland at her home.

He grabbed Mr Moreland, who was 74 at the time, and headbutted him, knocking him to the ground.

He then threw his pee over Mr Moreland and his mother, who was then aged 77.

Carson’s solicitor, Amy Spencer told the court the psychologi­sts had been unable to determine if he had a mental disorder.

She also said Carson had been in custody for a “significan­t” period of time in relation to these matters and had been using his time to read and write his autobiogra­phy.

She said: “There have been no further concerns regarding breaches since then and this is the only matter he has outstandin­g.

“The reports say he is a huge risk and the NHOs are having no impact whatsoever.

“He has not attempted to contact his mother since then. He could have sent her a letter from prison and he has not.

“There has been no repeat of this behaviour.”

 ??  ?? Twisted Carson was warned he could spend his life in custody
Twisted Carson was warned he could spend his life in custody

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