The brother of Simple Minds lead singer Jim Kerr has been charged with conducting a campaign of online stalking and harassment from prison, placing him in breach of a restraining order.
Paul Kerr, 58, formerly of Warwick Mount, in Montague Street, Brighton, was given a nine-year sentence after threatening to murder and rape two “super fans” of the band during a long-running stalking campaign.
Today (Tuesday 30 August) he appeared at Hove Crown Court, by video link from Wayland Prison, in Thetford, Norfolk, to answer the charges of further stalking and harassing one of his victims – John Fagan.
But the court was told that Kerr was unrepresented because of the industrial dispute over legal aid between criminal barristers and the government.
As a result, the charges were not put – and Judge Jeremy Gold adjourned Kerr’s case until Tuesday 13 September.
According to the charges, Kerr is alleged to have stalked Mr Fagan, causing him serious alarm or distress, having “a substantial adverse effect on his usual day-to-day activities”.
This involved sending letters to the police and NHS, making untrue allegations and comments about Mr Fagan.
Kerr is also alleged to have sent several letters “which you were prohibited from doing by a restraining order imposed by Lewes Crown Court”.
The indefinite restraining order was imposed by Judge Stephen Mooney on Monday 6 January 2020 when he sentenced Kerr to an extended term of six years in prison, with a further three years on licence.
Kerr is alleged to have continued to stalk and harass Mr Fagan from prison between a date towards the end of January 2020 and a date in early July the same year.
