Trainspotters at war: bomb threat and poison pen letters

[John Ashworth]

Trainspotters at war: Enthusiast sent bomb threat and poison pen letters to blacken name of railways rival

- Nicholas Cawthorne sent a letter threatening to bomb historic railway signed as David Lake
- The 50-year-old was friends with the fellow train enthusiast's cancer-stricken father
- Was caught after police matched fingerprints and DNA from letters
- Pleaded guilty to harassment and handed indefinite restraining order

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 12:22 GMT, 26 September 2012 | UPDATED: 15:27 GMT, 26 September 2012

A lifelong train enthusiast sent poison pen letters and a threat to bomb an historic railway and harm passengers, in a bizarre bid to blacken the name of his cancer-stricken friend's son.

Scheming Nicholas Cawthorne, 50, wrote poison pen letters and threatened to bomb North Yorkshire Moors Railway and harm passengers to blacken the name of the son of his best friend Dennis Lake, who was dying of cancer.

Leeds Magistrates Court heard Cawthorne, of Colton, Leeds, who had a 'life-long love' of railways, signed the letters 'David Lake' as part of an harassment campaign to tarnish the railway volunteer's reputation.

Freelance photographer Cawthorne began his campaign of hate against volunteer train engineer Mr Lake in February this year shortly before his father Dennis died of gastric cancer at the age of 75.

Mr Lake was arrested on two occasions and even former gardener Dennis, who was in the last stages of his life, was taken into custody on suspicion of penning the threatening letters.

Prosecutor Marie Austin-Walsh said some of the letters, which were sent in February and March this year, were directed against management.

She told the court: 'Some of them are threatening and abusive, some of them make threats to harm passengers and one refers to a bomb being placed on the railway.

'None of them were taken seriously by the railway or the police to the degree of any immediate action being taken.

'The police seem to have formed the opinion that, in their words, the letters were written by some sort of crank.'

Mr Lake was arrested as a result of the letters, but denied ever writing them and was released on bail.

He was re-arrested after Cawthorne sent more letters in his name, but the real writer was unmasked after he sent correspondence to the company in his own name complaining about Mr Lake.

Ms Austin-Walsh said: 'In his letters he describes concerns about Mr Lake, saying he shouldn't be working there and they should get rid of him.

'He said Mr Lake was insulting people there. These were all false allegations.'

After the hearing Mr Lake said he remained baffled as to why Cawthorne carried out the campaign.

He said: 'He knew how hard I was finding it looking after my father full time and he made the decision to make my life so much harder.'

Mr Lake said the pair would meet up a couple of time a week for drinks.

He said: 'When the police turned up at the house for the first time in February it nearly finished my father off.

'I've no idea why Nicholas would do such a thing - particularly giving that he knew my father's condition.

'They used to work together on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and had been good friends for a lot of years.

'I knew Nicholas through my work as an engineer on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

'He was a real enthusiast and used to come to take pictures.

'I didn't know him well enough for him to have a vendetta against me though.

'I've been arrested twice and had to suffer the indignation of being put on bail.

'What have I done to this man to make him want to treat me like this?

'The whole thing nearly finished my father off as he had a lot of health problems along with his cancer.

'It was only rarely that the two of us spoke but clearly he had some problems with me.

'I'm just glad my father didn't live to find out that it was his close friend who was responsible for all the anguish the pair of us had to go through in the months leading up to his death.'

Cawthorne was arrested after police matched his fingerprints and DNA to the earlier threatening letters - while a handwriting expert said the letters must have been written by the same person.

In mitigation Ghazanfar Iqbal said his client had never been in trouble before and was deeply embarrassed.

He said Cawthorne, who pleaded guilty to harassment, lived with his parents and suffered a breakdown at the time.

He said: 'He understands the impact this has had on Mr Lake and wants to apologise to him.

'This is a lifelong love of his and something he realises he won't be able to return to.'

Cawthorne was handed an indefinite restraining order banning him from contacting Mr Lake or North Yorkshire Moors Railway staff, or travelling on the railway.

He was also given a four month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, 100 hours of unpaid work and was ordered to pay Mr Lake £500 in compensation along with £85 court costs.

After the hearing a North Yorkshire Moors Railway spokesman said: 'It was a distressing time for the volunteers and staff working at NYMR, but we are pleased that the authorities are dealing with this matter.'