Scorton vicar was butt of pensioner's insulting 'Good, Bad and Ugly' poster

The ongoing feud between the clergyman and an 81-year-old resident is said to relate to a piece of land behind a vicarage, which the pensioner uses to walk his dog.

Peter Camm, of The Square, Scorton, near Lancaster, was allowed to stand next to his solicitor during the proceedings at Preston Magistrates’ Court, instead of going in the dock, on account of his hearing difficulties.

He has pleaded guilty to a public order offence of displaying “any writing, sign or other visible representation” which was threatening, abusive or insulting, thereby causing harassment, alarm or distress.

It relates to Rev Anton Muller, the vicar of All Saints, Barnacre, St. John’s, Calder Vale, and St. Peter’s, Scorton.

However, the case has been adjourned due to other ongoing matters.

Rev Muller, who has also served as Ecumenical Officer for Churches Together in Lancashire, is currently protected from contact from Mr Camm by a restraining order imposed on the pensioner last October after an earlier incident, the court was told.

Prosecuting, Rebecca Seymour said: “There are other matters in relation to the same complainant - there’s a history”.

His vicarage backs onto Mr Camm’s house and there has been animosity between them for sometime.”

Last October, the OAP was convicted of assaulting the vicar after a notice had been published in a church newsletter saying dog walker Mr Camm was “banned” from a piece of land behind the vicarage.

It is understood the clergyman was punched during an argument in a field, after the vicar had confronted him.

It is now alleged that Mr Camm made a ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’ poster, which he displayed in the front of his car.

It depicted the pensioner’s pet dog as ‘the good’.

It then used a picture of the vicar - sporting the injuries he sustained in the previous assault by Mr Camm - as “the bad”.

The vicar was also depicted as “the ugly”.

Defending, Victoria Thompson asked for the case to be adjourned to March 26 for other matters relating to a second alleged assault to be explored.

(proceeding)