Geoffrey Wright: Dubbo man charged with stalking and intimidation

An ex-Jehovah’s Witness committee member sent 60 letters in 2022 containing controversial biblical statements to a fellow churchgoer after a feud urging him “make amends”.

Geoffrey Wright walking out of Dubbo Local Court.

A former Jehovah’s Witness committee member sent hundreds of letters to his neighbour begging for him to confess to the evidence of “lies, disobedience and dishonesty”.

Geoffrey Wright, 71, pleaded guilty to stalking and intimidation after he sent 60 letters in 2022, averaging five a month, to his neighbour who is also his nephew.

Agreed police facts tendered to Dubbo Local Court revealed the victim approached police to report the constant harassment he had received from Wright.

Wright and the victim have known each other for more than two decades and live next to one another, the court heard.

Dubbo Courthouse.

The fall out between the two parties is understood to have happened more than 10 years ago when Wright was removed from a committee at the Jehovah’s Witness church the pair both attend in Dubbo.

According to the police facts, Wright had sent hundreds of letters to the victim over the past decade.

While the missives were not of a threatening nature, they featured quotes from the bible and other religious statements.

Lines included “time to confess there is evidence of your lies, disobedience and dishonesty” and “please simply confess and make amends as you are required to do”.

While another letter wrote “you are required to confess and show genuine repentance for your practice of spreading lies, slander and deceit, please heed these warnings”.

The victim supplied more than 60 letters to the police with them all dated and sent in 2022.

Dubbo courthouse.

“The victim was quite worn down as a result of the constant harassment and stated these letters were also taking a toll on his children,” the facts stated.

At Dubbo Local Court on January 18, solicitor Aaron Ryan told the court Wright had been a longstanding member at the church and felt like he lost his privileges.

Magistrate Gary Wilson sentenced Wright to a conditional release order without conviction for six months.