A former editor has denied sending an obscene or menacing tweet to a Jewish campaigner.
Greg Hadfield, 68, has been banned from mentioning Fiona Sharpe or her family while he awaits trial in June.
The charge relates to a post he made on Twitter – now known as X – which included a screenshot of a pornographic image tweeted by former Hove MP Ivor Caplin, tagging in @FionaSharpe.
At his first appearance at Brighton Magistrates Court today, Hadfield said the tweet was not sent to anyone.
He said: “To the charge of posting a single screenshot of an Ivor Caplin post, I plead not guilty.”
Prosecuting, Suzanne Soros requested permission for Ms Sharpe to give evidence over videolink from a different courtroom on the basis she would find it too difficult to give her best evidence in person.
She said: “She is extremely anxious and would not like to give evidence in the same court as the defendant.”
Hadfield, of Surrenden Road, has instructed lawyers, but was representing himself today as his solicitor is on holiday.
He said he had “invested a significant amount of money” on his legal representation and was intending on instructing a KC for the trial.
District judge Tessa Szagun told him that if for any reason his legal representation was not available, he should contact the court so a duty solicitor could be instructed to cross examine Ms Sharpe.
She said it was appropriate to grant the bail conditions requested by the prosecution, telling him: “You do not mention or contact directly or indirectly Fiona Sharpe.
“From what you are saying you have no intention or wish to do so.
“And not to tag or mention her on any public forum, or her family … on the basis that I’m told that there were other tweets that have impacted on the family of Ms Sharpe.”
Complete stitch up of Greg Hadfield. It was a retweet which wasn’t even sent to Fiona Sharpe. If she was going to be offended she should have had a go at her mate Ivor Caplin who the message originated from. Why was it only offensive when Greg Hadfield retweeted it?
“A former editor”? What of fag packets? The Daily Planet?
Sloppy journalism.
It’s a good point: Wadsworth has edited out – inexplicably – a reference in an earlier version of the article to me having been a former editor of Brighton & Hove Independent, which was bought by Johnston Press (in 2015).
The headline is in contempt of court: I did not “deny sending menacing tweet to Jewish campaigner”. Nor did I deny sending an obscene tweet to anyone.
I have asked for the headline to be changed.
As the article reports (almost correctly, I stated [verbatim]: ““To the charge of posting a single screenshot of an Ivor Caplin post on X, I plead not guilty.”
Hi Greg,
I haven’t received any emails or missed calls from you. Frank is off today, but if you want to outline your concern over the headline, please email jo@brightonandhovenews.org