A MAN who persistently threatened and abused staff at an insurance company in a “relentless campaign” has been spared a jail term.

Martin Goodall, 48, of Cuthbury Close, Wimborne, appeared for sentencing at Bournemouth Crown Court on January 5.

Goodall pleaded guilty to persistently calling and emailing insurance company Aviva to cause annoyance, inconvenience and needless anxiety.

In committing this crime, Goodall breached a suspended sentence he was serving for breaching a non-molestation order in May 2018.

Prosecuting, Jodie-Jane Hitchcock told the court between April and May 2019 Goodall repeatedly contacted members of Aviva after a failed critical insurance claim.

“This defendant made a complaint to Aviva which was refused,” Ms Hitchcock said.

“There was then a campaign of repeated calls and emails from this defendant initially to employees of the same company and to directors.

“He made numerous telephone calls and emails, on occasion he was abusive and threatening.

“He made claims he could have some of the employees arrested and made reference to the fact he had previously been a police officer.

“He accused the company of being fraudsters.”

Ms Hitchcock told the court some days Goodall would call in excess of 30 times, and even into the early hours of the morning.

The defendant also threatened to disrupt the company’s annual general meeting, prompting them to employ extra security at a cost of £5,000.

Goodall threatened to post thousands of pictures of one of the directors at the company, labelling him a fraudster.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Bernard, head of security, said in more than 30 years in the industry he had never come across someone as “relentless” as Goodall.

Goodall had a host of previous convictions, including removing a child from its adoption placement, breaching a restraining order and breaching a non-molestation order.

Representing himself, Goodall, who had recently been diagnosed with autism, said: “I am sorry, when I appeared before Magistrates I gave a cast iron guarantee that I would no longer contact members of Aviva ever again and I have maintained that.”

Judge Jonathan Fuller QC said: “Following a failed claim, you took exception to Aviva and started a campaign of calls and emails.

“These were designed to cause maximum upset and inconvenience to the recipients of those calls.

“The nature of the threats was persistent, sometimes in excess of 30 times a day.

“You threatened to disrupt the Aviva AGM, such threats were taken seriously.”

Judge Fuller said the reason the case was brought before Bournemouth Crown Court was for the breach of a suspended sentence.

However, after reading a report from a probation officer, it was decided Goodall would be sentenced to an 18-month community order, ordered to carry out 30 rehabilitation activity days and given a restraining order prohibiting him from making any contact with people at Aviva.

He was also fined £100 for breaching the suspended sentence, £1,000 in compensation to Aviva and £340 costs.