What's The Sign Language For 'Playing The Disability Card'..?

Julian Gaskett, representing Close, said it was an “unusual case” as James Close had extensive disabilities and could be “considered vulnerable in his own right” and his family felt he experienced social isolation due to his deafness.

 You see, he's really the victim!

He told the court: “He asked me to apologise to the court on his behalf for what has taken place. He understands how his language and lack of ability to speak could be considered to be verbally abusive and there’s a certain economy of words in the deaf community that outsiders can find brutally frank.”

And what does leaving dead rabbits and a sex toy outside someone's home mean in this 'deaf community', pray tell?

Chairman of the bench, magistrate Lewis Grant, said they had taken into account the defendant’s early guilty plea, his expression of remorse and his disabilities.

He was given a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay court costs of £85 and a £15 surcharge. He also imposed a restraining order, preventing Close from visiting the woman’s property or contacting her directly.

*sighs*

Update: The victim turns out to be very well known.