A Martlesham man who sent menacing emails and letters to people, including threats to "beat racism" out of a solicitor has been jailed for 22 months.

Jelani Jones, 41, who represented himself during his trial at Ipswich Crown Court in July, had denied three offences of sending an electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety, intimidating a witness in court proceedings by sending a threatening email and two offences of sending a letter with intent to cause distress or anxiety.

He was found guilty of four charges of sending threatening emails or letters by 11-1 majority verdicts and unanimously guilty of intimidating a solicitor by sending a threatening email and sending a threatening letter.

The case was adjourned until Thursday ( September 22) to allow a psychiatric report to be prepared on Jones.

During the trial, the court heard that over the course of a year Jones, of Top Street, Martlesham, sent a number of emails and letters containing threats to people he had dealings with, including a solicitor, a police officer and his mother.

James Onalaja, prosecuting, said that Jones sent a police officer emails in 2019 accusing him of being a racist and threatening to degrade him and his family.

He had also sent an email to a solicitor threatening that bricks would be thrown through “every single window of his home” and threatening to “beat racism out of him”.

Jones admitted sending the emails and letters but claimed he’d been suffering from extreme stress and post-traumatic stress disorder, and was a victim of the Windrush scandal and a government hostile environment policy.

Judge Emma Peters told Jones he was "obsessing over racism" and that he was not a victim of the Windrush scandal.

In addition to jailing Jones she banned him from contacting his victims for five years.