Farmer explains why he posted threats

By David Clarkson

Oxford farmer Mark Stafford Feary says he sent threatening letters to get his long-running legal dispute with the Commissioner of Crown Lands in front of a jury.

He told Christchurch District Court on the third day of his trial that he felt sick and fearful after posting the letters but he said in his evidence today: “What else could I do?”

He explained to the jury that they were not serious threats he made in the letters and faxes to a long list of politicians and government officials. He had no intention of going toWellington and he had not gone to any of the Prime Minister’s meetings in Christchurch.

However, trial judge Raoul Neave told him that the legal test was actually whether he intended the threats to be taken seriously.

Although he denies the 12 charges of making threats to cause grievous bodily harm, and two charges of threatening to kill the Prime Minister John Key, 53-year-old Feary today admitted sending all of them, when he gave evidence.

He also admitted using gold paint to make a sort of frame around some of the letters. Powder from the paint caused a security alert when it spilled out when one of the letters was opened at Parliament.

But he said he had sent the threats at the end of a legal dispute lasting 26 years, which involves the lease of his farm.

He accused the Commissioner of Crown Lands and the Solicitor-General of “reprehensible and bullying tactics” themselves.

Judge Neave told Feary that the court was not interested in the rights and wrongs of the legal dispute. “That’s a pity,” Feary replied.

He said he was representing himself in court because the Solicitor-General had issued a “bullying, terrorising threat” against his lawyers that they would lose contracts with the government if they continued to act for him.

He told the court that whatever he had written in the threatening letters should not be taken at face value. He accused the government of playing with words in its own correspondence.

In his opening statement, Feary told the jury he was a farmer at Oxford with a wife and two teenage children. He said his family was immensely proud to be able – through him – to inform them of the “corrupt Government’s bullying, terrorising antics”.

“We do not seek the jury’s pity, but we do urge the jury to insist on having all of the information that you believe you need in order to reach a decision you know is the right one,” he said.

The trial paused sometimes when Feary became emotional.

The trial is continuing.