LONDON: A 65-year-old man has been jailed for five months for mailing a threatening letter to former home secretary Priti Patel. Pooneeraj Canakiah was sentenced by the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London last week.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in England said the letter, which was addressed to Patel, was opened by a member of her staff on January 22 last year when she was still the home secretary. Forensic testing was used to trace the writer. “The content of the letter was grossly offensive and abusive. Canakiah thought that he would not be caught, however, forensic analysis proved that he wrote the letter,” said senior crown prosecutor Lauren Doshi. “This conviction and sentence sends a clear message, that threats of this nature are taken very seriously and will not be tolerated.,” she said.
Analysis of indentations in the paper revealed Canakiah’s name and address, and further analysis of the handwriting on the envelope and letter proved that he was theauthor.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in England said the letter, which was addressed to Patel, was opened by a member of her staff on January 22 last year when she was still the home secretary. Forensic testing was used to trace the writer. “The content of the letter was grossly offensive and abusive. Canakiah thought that he would not be caught, however, forensic analysis proved that he wrote the letter,” said senior crown prosecutor Lauren Doshi. “This conviction and sentence sends a clear message, that threats of this nature are taken very seriously and will not be tolerated.,” she said.
Analysis of indentations in the paper revealed Canakiah’s name and address, and further analysis of the handwriting on the envelope and letter proved that he was theauthor.