A MAN went into the Aberystwyth offices of MP Mark Williams after the Orlando nightclub atrocity where 49 people were shot dead and told a shocked gay employee that homosexuality was “evil”.

David John Goodier, 67, told Mark Wilson that if he had known he was gay that “maybe I’d have brought a gun”.

He made the comments just two days after the massacre at the gay club Pulse in Orlando that left 49 people dead and 53 others wounded.

Goodier, who had refused to enter a plea to a charge of intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress, was convicted in his absence following a trial.

Prosecutor Kevin Challinor said Goodier, of Bay View, 3 St Michael’s Place, had made a series of offensive comments to Mr Wilson including comments that equal marriage should not be allowed and comparing homosexuality with bestiality and paedophilia.

He insisted Goodier’s comments had been intended to deliberately cause offence and distress after learning that Mr Wilson was gay.

Goodier had gone to the Liberal Democrat office in North Parade at around 11.30am.

He had been speaking to Mr Wilson as he wanted to speak about the party’s stance on equality, and complained that the letters he had written to Mr Williams had not been answered.

Following his arrest, Goodier insisted that he had not intended to cause any distress or alarm to Mr Wilson and that any comments he had made were “hypothetical”.

District Judge David Parsons issued a warrant for Goodier’s arrest after he walked out of court as his trial was about to begin.

Goodier was arrested and appeared before magistrates in Llanelli on Saturday. He was remanded in custody until a sentencing hearing on Wednesday, 21 September.

Speaking after the case, Mr Wilson said the incident had been “very scary” and that Goodier’s conviction meant he could now move on.

“I couldn’t believe it was happening. I was alone in the office with him and I was quite scared,” he said. “With the shootings in Orlando just a couple of days before and the Jo Cox shooting the week before, it wasn’t a very good time.”

Mr Wilson said Goodier started making comments about equal marriage and homosexuality. “He said that homosexuality was, among other things, an abomination and it needed to be stopped,” said Mr Wilson.

“He compared homosexuality to bestiality and paedophilia.”

When Mr Wilson disagreed and told Goodier that he was gay, Goodier made comments about the Orlando shootings which had happened just two days before.

“He said that he agreed with the shooter’s motivations in that he fully agreed with his hatred of homosexuality,” said Mr Wilson.

“He said ‘Maybe if I was inclined and knew you were homosexual, maybe I’d have brought a gun today’.”