An aristocrat who is on trial for a hate crime against an anti-semitism activist called his Jewish wife a ‘greedy, grasping, thieving manipulator of the system’, a court heard.
Piers Portman, 50, the son of Edward, 9th Viscount Portman of Bryanston, is currently on trial on a hate crime charge after allegedly calling Campaign Against Antisemitism CEO Gideon Falter ‘Jewish scum’.
Mr Falter had refused to shake Portman’s outstretched hand at the sentencing of anti-semitic blogger Alison Chabloz at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June 2018 when the alleged abuse took place.
In a letter written by Portman, which was sent to Campaign Against Antisemitism in 2018 to show his anger at Chabloz’s sentencing, the aristocrat, criticised his wife Tracy, and her lawyer, Baroness Shackleton of Belgravia.
Piers Portman (pictured), 50, the son of Edward, 9th Viscount Portman of Bryanston, criticised his wife Tracy, and her lawyer, Baroness Shackleton of Belgravia in a letter to Campaign Against Antisemitism in 2018
He wrote: ‘I am currently married, for 13 years to a greedy, grasping, thieving and lying criminal manipulator of the system that also happens to be Jewish.
‘Lately, my wife has taken it upon herself to see her husband as an asset and owing to my disobedience, she has hired the services of the Baroness of Belgravia, Fiona Shackleton, another greedy, grasping and lying manipulator of the system that happens to be Jewish.’
In the letter, which was read out at Southwark Crown Court, Portman, who was educated at Harrow, also went on to describe how his wife had ’embarked upon a campaign of ritual defamation and asset stripping’ against him.
He said this had left him being labelled an anti-semite and ‘a mind-controlled Nazi’.
Five months after the letter was sent to the charity, Portman is alleged to have hurled the racist abuse at Mr Falter.
In October last year, Misba Majid, prosecuting, described the alleged offence as ‘a religious hate crime.’
Mr Majid said: ‘They were both here to witness a case.
Campaign Against Antisemitism CEO Gideon Falter had refused to shake Portman’s outstretched hand at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June 2018 when the alleged abuse took place
The alleged hate crime is said to have taken place at the sentencing of Alison Chabloz, above, in June 2018
‘On 14 June 2018 the complainant, Mr Falter, was present as part of Campaign Against Antisemitism at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and Mr Portman was also present as a witness.
‘After it was over he approached Mr Falter in the lobby and extended a hand in gesture to shake it.
‘Mr Falter did not know who he was and refused to shake his hand. At that point Mr Portman said ‘come prosecute me you Jewish scum’.
‘He said it leaning in to his face and gesturing aggressively. Mr Falter described how he was shaken by the incident and it was witnessed by a number of people at the time.’
Mr Falter claimed he only found the letter Portman had sent the charity after the alleged abuse took place, but the court was told that the aristocrat received a reply from Campaign Against Antisemitism.
The trial continues.
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
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