A man who sent a threatening email to a weekly editor following a court report has been fined £80.

Ian Pemberton, of Church Street, Aberfdyi, pleaded guilty to sending an email of an indecent or offensive nature to Mick O’Reilly, editor of the Cambrian News, contrary to the Malicious Communications Act of 1988.

The incident stemmed from a court report carried in the News on 22 July, 2022 that reported on Pemberton’s conviction and £400 fine for sending a malicious communication to staff at Tywyn Health Centre on 26 January.

Pemberton subsequently contacted Mick on 25 June 2024, saying that the report had caused him distress, had put his life in danger, and that he would “find your home address and do the same to you”.

Haverfordwest Magistrates Court fined 63-year-old Pemberton £80 and instructed him to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £32 when he appeared before them on Monday.

An arrest warrant had previously been issued by magistrates in Caernarfon when Pemberton failed to appear there on 9th December.

Said Mick, pictured: “The Cambrian News has a right recognised by the courts to report on who appears there and on the outcomes.

“We will not be intimidated nor deterred from that duty. The ability to do so is a cornerstone of press freedom and of the judicial process.

“We also take any threats against any member of the Cambrian News or Tenby Observer staff very seriously indeed. This incident underscores our determination to report freely and without intimidation of any sort.

Mick, who has extensive experience of reporting from conflict zones around the world, told police the email from Pemberton was intimidating because it made a direct threat against his person and his home.