Tragic pastor Davey Jones' stalker jailed after online smear campaign
A disgruntled traveller who drove a gypsy pastor to kill himself after a two-month online smear campaign has been jailed for 26 months.
Jamie Jones, 42, uploaded 23 menacing videos to YouTube targeting head minister Davey Jones (no relation) of the Life and Light Christian gypsy church in Union Street, Willenhall, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
The clips, posted between May and July last year, accused Davey Jones of covering-up a child sexual abuse scandal at a Romanian orphanage, of corruption over charitable funds, and of being homosexual, Mr Howard Searle prosecuting said.
The pastor, 60, was later found dead in a hotel car park in Walsall on July 11 last year after a 'meltdown' caused by abuse attributed to the videos, the court was told.
"Jamie Jones was a member of the church up to 2008," said Mr Searle.
"He left after a dispute. At the time the Life and Light church in Willenhall was involved in raising funds for an orphanage in Romania.
"In police interview he said there had been some form of child abuse at the orphanage. His perception was that he didn't get positive answers from church leaders.
"That seems to be the basis going back to 2008."
Mr Searle said that then last year – seven years later – a third party video emerged purporting to show Davey Jones in the car park of a gay club.
The defendant, formerly of Wolverhampton Road, Penkridge, then used the existence of this video to hound his victim online, he told the court.
"The defendant felt it (the alleged homosexuality) wasn't right or in the spirit of the mission of the church and rules," he said.
"It culminates in 23 videos on YouTube claiming Davey Jones and other members of the church were involved in this alleged misuse of charitable funds, abuse at the orphanage and made remarks about Davey Jones's sexuality."
The court was told the claims were all unfounded.
Defending, Miss Catherine O'Reilly said of her client, who pleaded guilty to a single count of stalking: "This is a desperately sad case and no-one regrets more what happened to Davey Jones than this defendant. He feels responsible for the choice that Mr Jones ultimately made. He did not foresee that consequence."
Judge Marcus Tregilgas-Davey sentenced him to 26 months in jail of which he will serve at least half behind bars.
"It is clear the effect your campaign had on that man, causing him to meltdown mentally, emotionally, and physically," he said.
"You should be utterly ashamed. You drove a decent man without a stain on his character to take his own life.
"No sentence can or is intended to compensate the family and friends of Davey Jones for their loss – and I couldn't do that in any case. My task is to impose an appropriate sentence. Only an immediate custodial sentence in this case can be justified."
He left a suicide note where he said he took his life because he 'wanted peace' and so 'the rumours were stopped to protected the integrity of the church'.
