Anti-fracker targeted security chief

David Logan was among protesters who made vile comments about him and challenged the security manager to a fight via messages on Facebook.

Logan asked the security boss to meet him for a bare-knuckle fight and called him an obscene name.

In a victim’s personal statement to a court the security manager stated he and his family had been harassed and that he and his family had had to reset their internet privacy settings.

The security manager had also installed CCTV at his address because of the threats and police had placed a vulnerable marker on his home.

Unemployed Logan, 37, of Wensleydale Avenue, Grange Park, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to sending a threatening message by social media. He was sentenced to a 12 weeks community order with a tagged curfew from 9pm to 8am and ordered to pay £100 compensation to the security manager with £45 costs plus £85 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Presiding magistrate, Roger Merry, told him: “People do not seem to understand the fear and trepidation it puts the victims in when things are posted online.

“We view this offence very seriously.

“You put this gentleman and his family in fear.”

Logan had previous convictions for a malicious communication offence against the police.

When interviewed by police Logan talked about being against the fracking process for shale gas.

He said he would have fought the security manager if he had turned up.

Gary McAnulty, defending, said his client was a man who did daft things when he was drunk.

He was curbing his use of alcohol and no longer used social media, he told the court.