The trial of a Colchester man accused of sending threatening letters and emails to the town’s MP and staff at the University of East Anglia is expected to take place in March next year.

Before Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday (June 29) for a case management hearing was Alastair Patterson, 63, of Avon Way, Colchester.

He faces a number of charges including sending Colchester MP Will Quince a letter suggesting an alternative to an “unfit for purpose justice system” was a “face full of acid”.

Patterson is also alleged to have threatened to publicly name staff at the University of East Anglia as “thieving paedophiles and racists” and told them “watching your faces drip onto your shoes won’t bother me in the slightest”.

The offences, which are said to have taken place between July and October 2021, also allege that Patterson sent a letter threatening to publicly brand former Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab for failures in the justice system “by acid”.

The charges include sending a letter conveying a threatening message, sending a letter conveying an indecent or grossly offensive message and harassment invoking fear of violence.

Patterson’s trial has been listed on March 18 and a pre-trial review will take place on December 15.