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| Justine Collins-Fairbank & Richard Fairbank |
Richard Fairbank, 54, and Justine Collins-Fairbank, 55, both appeared for trial at Staines Magistrates’ Court, determined to prove their innocence over charges regarding offensive tweets.
There has been a bitter ongoing dispute with opposite neighbour PC Martin Waltham, which has also seen the arrest and prosecution of the officer’s sons Sam, 30, and Lewis, 27.
Fairbank himself, of Old Shoreham Road, Southwick is currently subject to a stalking protection order, made last year.
That order was made at Brighton and Hove Magistrates’ Court after PC Waltham complained Fairbank made 36 tweets in four months about him.
The animosity between the households was even the subject of an episode of Channel 5's 'The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door' series.
The latest charges pre-date that order and relate to a tweet Fairbank made on August 15, 2023 and according to the prosecution it was reposted and replied to by Collins-Fairbank on September 12 and October 2.
The couple were both charged with sending a public message that was offensive as it contained the word “c***,” which had been originally written by another poster.
The couple told the court they were simply repeating language used in another tweet and bringing it to the attention of Sussex Police.
“A tweet was published by Mr Fairbank about a senior police officer that was offensive,” said prosecutor Richard Sampson.
“Mrs Collins-Fairbank on two occasions reposted and replied to the post.”
Fairbank told the court: “This has gone on for years. They have made fake accounts against us.”
He said those fake accounts made offensive sexual allegations regarding his wife.
One twitter account in the name of ‘JakeSawyer’ was traced to Sam Waltham, explained Fairbank, who brought evidence from Hutchison 3G to show the court the account’s true author.
In 2018 Sam was convicted of assault and both he and his brother Lewis found guilty of threatening behaviour and damaging cars.
Fairbank was also charged with assaulting the two sons the previous year, but the case was dropped due to lack of evidence.
He told Staines District Judge Julie Cooper: “PC Waltham sent a letter to my employer saying I was a danger to the public.”
Visibly stressed Collins-Fairbank told the court: “We had two police officers this morning at our house.”
Judge Cooper found the charges proved, but gave each defendant an absolute discharge with no costs or other financial penalties.
“I can see you are both really upset that these allegations have been made about you,” she told the couple.
4 comments:
Absolutely pathetic the lot of them. They all just need to grow up
Unfortunately there are a number of errors in this report.
The Fairbanks were having fake accounts published about them which were malicious. Sussex Police didn't investigate those accounts. Because the Fairbanks replied to those accounts saying it was their neighbours, Sussex Police applied for a stalking Protection order (SPO) against Fairbank to remove his right to free speech. Sussex Police withheld from the court that they has begun to investigate the fake accounts traced them back to the police officer neighbour's broadband so stopped investigating to protect them only pursuing the Fairbanks. In November 2024 Sussex Police charged the Fairbanks with Malicious communication. Again withholding from the courts who had created the vile fake accounts. The matter was swiftly moved away from Brighton Magistrates Court to Staines where district Judge Cooper was the Reserved Judge.
In March 2025, Sussex Police referred themselves to the IOPC for serious corruption, but would not investigate themselves until these charges were resolved.
In June 2025 an application was heard to discharge the SPO due to the serious corruption identified within Sussex Police. However due to a loophole in the law where an SPO cannot be discharged within the first 2 years if the chief constable doesn't agree. There despite referring Sussex Police to the IOPC, the Chief Constable refused to agree or investigate.
So it all came down to Disrict Judge Cooper who had access to everything.
She ruled that she totally understands what the Fairbanks did, they weren't bein Malicious, they were reporting what had happened. District Judge Cooper ruled an Absolute Discharge, then the IOPC investigation into serious corruption could begin.
You have omitted to say Mr Fairbank is Disabled, he's Autistic, you can see in your picture he is wearing his lanyard, yet did all the legal work himself.
The Fairbanks have never referred to anyone as c@@t, the report is factually inaccurate.
It was the Walthams referring to Fairbank as a disabled C@@t. You may wish to re-edit that?
The Fairbanks sound like they would be great at parties!
As a police officer , I question integrity .
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