Sheffield – Sheffield Crown Court heard on November 14 how Peter Aird, aged 53, of Bramall Lane, Sheffield, was captured on CCTV in the mail room of his block of flats taking these cards from his mail box and placing them into his victims’ boxes.
Prosecuting barrister Ian West said: “A number of business cards were posted through the letter box of The Anchor Point accommodation, on Bramall Lane – a shared accommodation with shared letter boxes.” The cards featured a number of anti-Semitic comments relating to conspiracy theories about the Covid jab, according to Mr West.
Mr West said Aird clearly seems to have hostile views towards those of the Jewish religion, and unpleasant, fascist Nazi memorabilia was displayed at his home.
Aird, who has a previous conviction for manslaughter, pleaded guilty to four counts of sending an article with intent to cause distress or anxiety between November 29, 2021, and December 2, 2021, after he posted four anti-Semitic ‘business cards’ to neighbours’ homes.
Clarkson Baptiste, defending, said: “He had no idea of their ethnicity so this was not directly targeting the Jewish community so these cards weren’t sent to people he believed to be Jewish.”
Mr Baptiste added: “He cannot deny he holds views that a large proportion of our society would find objectionable and offensive. However, he maintains he is not anti-Jewish but what was printed would cause offence.”
Judge Peter Keslon KC told Aird he had manufactured and posted these cards into the letter boxes of others in his apartment block. He added that Aird’s neighbours were shocked, left feeling harassed and distressed, with one pregnant recipient left feeling ‘extremely anxious’ and others describing the material as ‘racist’ and saying the person responsible is ‘vile’.
Judge Kelson, who sentenced Aird to 12 months of custody, told him he was stirring-up racial hatred and submissions that he was not anti-Jewish ‘fall on deaf ears’. He added: “An immediate prison sentence is required in this case and it is necessary to mark society’s revulsion at your activity and a deterrent sentence is necessary.”
