Mebyon Kernow suspends candidate over conviction

James Casbolt has been suspended by Mebyon Kernow ahead of the Penzance Town Council by-election

A Cornish political party has withdrawn support for a by-election candidate after discovering information about his criminal past he had not shared when selected.

Mebyon Kernow (MK) suspended James Casbolt ahead of Thursday's vote for two vacancies in the Newlyn and Mousehole ward at Penzance Town Council.

The party said Casbolt had not told them he was sentenced to 12 years in jail in 2015 after attempting to blackmail his ex-wife Haley Meijer and harassing former British champion surfer Tassy Swallow and hair stylist Simone Everett.

The BBC has attempted to contact Casbolt for comment.

Truro Crown Court heard in 2015 Casbolt tried to exploit £2m out of his American wife, the heiress to the Meijer hypermarket business, by posting sexually explicit photos of her on porn sites.

Casbolt admitted charges of blackmail, stalking and harassment.

Sentencing, Judge Christopher Harvey Clark said Casbolt was a "dangerous man" who used modern forms of communication in a "sinister and destructive way".

Review under way

Under the Local Government Act 1972 candidates cannot be elected councillors if they have been sentenced to prison for three months or more - including suspended sentences.

Mebyon Kernow said it could not not support his candidature from a moral standpoint.

"We have had to withdraw our support for James Casbolt because we have since become aware of information about his past that he did not share with MK at the time of his selection," the party said in a statement.

"As a result, he has been suspended as a member of MK and, although the ballot paper will show the MK logo and description next to his name, we can confirm he is no longer an MK candidate."

The statement added the party's National Executive Committee would complete a review into what happened in regard to Casbolt's selection and how MK can "improve such processes in the future".