Man with a grudge against BBC made 885 offensive calls

Published on Friday 13 March 2009 20:52

A MAN with a "massive grudge" against the BBC bombarded it with 885 offensive calls over six months.

Edward Elliot admitted telephoning a call centre using offensive, indecent and menacing language while under the influence of alcohol.

One day, he called Capita in Glasgow, which provides a BBC information service, 157 times.

He pleaded guilty yesterday at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to making 885 abusive calls between May and November.

Elliot, 45, who lives in a remote cottage near Newcastleton, Roxburghshire, used sexually explicit language if the calls were answered by women and was abusive to men.

A previous hearing was told Elliot was angry at receiving demands for a television licence fee despite claiming he has not watched television for six years.

The calls were traced to his home and he was asked to stop, but persisted. Elliot – who is banned from pubs in the Newcastleton area – was complaining about the "complacent and arrogant" attitude of the BBC and the information they put out. The court was told he had a "massive grudge" against the BBC.

Asked to explain his behaviour, Elliot claimed he had not watched television for six years and had not had a licence for six years, but had received demands for 1,000 for not paying his licence fee. He said he only used a television to watch DVDs and videos.

Elliot's lawyer Rory Bannerman said the calls were made when his client was under the influence of alcohol. He added: "He expresses remorse and realises his conduct was wholly unacceptable."

Sheriff Kevin Drummond sentenced Elliot to 100 hours community service.

He had sentence deferred for six months for good behaviour after admitting disorderly conduct and breach of the peace in Hawick High Street on 9 January.