Pensioner who campaigned after grandson died in Iraq war receives hateful Christmas card ‘I can’t believe that there is somebody in this town who would go out of their way to do something like this’

An OAP who became one of the leading critics of the Iraq war after his grandson, a soldier, was killed in action, has talked of his shock at receiving an abusive Christmas card.

“I couldn’t believe it. I opened the door and saw that somebody had sent me a lovely Christmas card and hand delivered too”

David Godfrey, 72, took on Tony Blair at the Chilcot inquiry and has dedicated his life to supporting the armed forces and veterans after the loss of Daniel Coffey, who died aged 21 in Basra, Iraq, while out on patrol.

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After his grandson died, Mr Godfrey launched the charitable organisation Operation Braveheart to support and remember fallen service personnel.

For the last four years, Mr Godrey has also run a supporting charity shop in his home town of Cullompton, Devon. The abusive letter was hand-delivered to the property.

Inside, the message read: “To David, Merry Christmas, and a happy new year.

“Hope your [sic] not opening this shithole of a shop next year because that’s all it is.”

The missive was signed using a question mark.

Mr Godfrey said: “I couldn’t believe it. I opened the door and saw that somebody had sent me a lovely Christmas card and hand-delivered too.

“When I opened it, I was dumbstruck. I can’t believe that there is somebody in this town who would go out of their way to do something like this, especially for what we’re doing here at the shop. It’s so pathetic.”

Mr Godfrey has used profits at the shop to open a memorial garden in the town. It’s dedicated to all serving and fallen soldiers.

Rifleman Coffey died as a result of injuries sustained during a patrol in north Basra. He was returning to his base at the Shatt-Al-Arab Hotel after taking part in a task mentoring the Iraqi Police Service when his patrol was ambushed by two gunmen, the MoD announced in February 2007.

Police in Cullompton said they have been notified and were investigating the Christmas card as a hate crime.

Mr Godfrey added: “I’ve got CCTV in the shop and we would have had them bang to rights if I hadn’t had a box in front of the camera. Unfortunately, you couldn’t see the whole door, but we’re hoping it will have been picked up on the town’s CCTV.

“I’ve had a hell of a lot of support from around the country through Facebook and people here in Cullompton. It’s very comforting.

“I would like to thank everyone who has been in and supported the shop by making donations. If you look at my window now, I’ve got a display showing a helicopter dropping presents to our armed forces; I want them to know they’ve not been forgotten about this Christmas.”

Ian Atkins, who helps Mr Godfrey in the shop, said the card was from a narrow-minded individual.

“I’ve told David that the more he keeps on about it, the more he’ll feel downhearted about it all as he has been very upset about it,” he said.

Mr Godfrey has been a long-term critic of the conflict in Iraq and referred to Tony Blair as a war criminal when he attended the Chilcot inquiry to hear him give evidence.

He initially set up Operation Braveheart to “fight for truth and justice” after claiming his son’s future was stolen from him for a war that was, in his words, “unjust and illegal”.