Leading Wirral Conservative sued over 'phone threat to wife' claim

Mar 18 2009 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

Bahram Noorani Image 1

A LEADING Wirral Conservative was in court yesterday, after allegedly accusing a party colleague of instigating a series of threatening phone calls against him and his wife.

Dick Calver, former chairman of Wirral West Conservative Association, is alleged to have implied Bahram Noorani was responsible for threats to disfigure his wife with acid and burn down the couple’s home.

This is denied by Mr Noorani, an Iranian property developer, and yesterday he started a libel action against Mr Calver at Liverpool High Court, seeking substantial damages.

The court case is the latest row to have rocked West Wirral Conservative Association – 16 months ago, party leaders were forced to deny they had “pressed the self-destruct button” in the constituency which is a key marginal seat for the Tories.

The court heard how the pair had become rivals in Wirral West during 2007, as disagreements spread over the way the party was being run.

Both sides agreed the association had become a "hotbed of infighting".

Things came to a head following a meeting which Mr Noorani, a father of four, said had been "hi-jacked" by Mr Calver, the court heard.

Following the meeting, Mr Noorani alleges that Mr Calver sent an email to between 25 and 30 members of the executive committee of the Wirral West Conservative Association which was defamatory.

Mr Noorani's barrister, Lois Cole-Wilson, said in sending the email Mr Calver had acted "largely out of spite because he had developed a grudge against Mr Noorani".

"Mr Noorani was a man of some standing among his peers and the effect of this document [the email], has been hugely damaging.

"Your reputation is something which is very much personal to you, it's precious. Once it's damaged, it's difficult to get back.”