Singer’s brother ‘is still harassing victim from jail’
A SIMPLE Minds ‘superfan’ couple who were stalked by singer Jim Kerr’s brother claim that he is continuing a campaign of harassment from behind bars.
John and Julie Fagan, devotees of the Scots rockers, were subjected to a horrific ordeal by Paul Kerr, estranged brother of Simple Minds frontman Jim, after a Facebook row over the band’s music.
Former tour manager Kerr, 56, who was jailed in January, bombarded them with obscene false allegations including accusing Mr Fagan of child rape, and threatening to murder Mrs Fagan in a year-long tirade of abuse.
After being convicted of stalking the couple and a former girlfriend, he was sentenced to nine years – six years in custody and three on extended licence.
Kerr, from Brighton, was also given an indefinite restraining order banning him from ever contacting his victims. But Mr Fagan, 52, a nurse, claims letters were sent to his work and previous employers in Kerr’s name, prompting police to investigate.
East Kent NHS Trust has confirmed it received a letter, and HM Prisons has apologised.
Mr Fagan, from Canterbury, Kent, has seen Simple Minds more than 300 times and was an active member of an online forum about the band.
He told The Sunday Mail: ‘Kerr has been trying to affect my employment from prison by writing multiple letters since he was jailed for stalking us.
‘He first wrote to NHS England but they wondered who Paul Kerr and John Fagan were so they passed it to the Nursing & Midwifery Council, which has the power to strike a nurse off.
‘He claimed I admitted in court to downloading paedophile material while at work, which is nonsense. He also wrote that I had a conviction for molesting someone and was a thief, which is all completely untrue. NHS England had to take out a no-contact order to stop Kerr writing to them.
‘I was also contacted by East Kent Hospitals, my former employer, as Kerr has written to them. He is still trying to ruin our lives from prison.’
A Sussex Police spokesman told The Sunday Mail: ‘We have received a report that a man, currently serving a prison sentence for stalking, has allegedly been carrying out harassment of one of the victims in that case. It is being investigated.’
HM Prison Service said: ‘We’re sorry for any distress. Strict measures are in place but human error meant letters were able to leave the prison in this case.’