Adrian Price, 57, of Bombay Road, Wigan, has been handed a suspended prison sentence after leaving abusive voicemails and sending emails to one current and two former cabinet ministers. Wigan Magistrates' Court heard that Price targeted Yvette Cooper, Sir James Cleverly and Peter Kyle between January 26 and March 9.
In a voicemail left at the office of Ms Cooper, the Labour MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley and current Health Secretary, Price said: "You dirty b****h. I'm going to get you. You baby killing c***. You have got war criminal all over you." In a second voicemail, he said: "You stink of Israeli genocide. Just because you don't have your own children doesn't mean you should kill others. We all know you have taken dirty shekels. Israeli sponsored b***h."
Abuse Directed at Multiple MPs
Price, an unemployed concrete re-enforcer, also left a message for Sir James Cleverly, the Conservative MP for Braintree, saying: "Just because people don't support Israel, don't think they're antisemitic, you f****** baby killing bastard." To Mr Kyle, the Labour MP for Hove and Portslade, he said: "You stink of dead Palestinian children, you dirty, failed human being."
Jane Deakin, prosecuting, told the court that emails sent by Price "were in similar terms." Price pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to three offences of malicious communications.
Victim Impact Statements
Two of the MPs supplied victim impact statements. Sir James wrote that as an MP he expected criticism and disagreement but Price went "far beyond critical political engagement." He said the behaviour had caused "distress and alarm" to himself and his office staff and disrupted their work for constituents.
Mr Kyle's statement said: "No one should have to be afraid to go to their workplace or work. It has created an atmosphere of terror."
In a statement, Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, who is involved in security and pastoral care for MPs, said: "I firmly believe we have an obligation to protect democracy, particularly those elected by the ballot box. In recent years I have received phone calls that two members of Parliament have been murdered." The Speaker said the effect of abuse was to erode confidence and generate fear, and MPs had told him they were planning to stand down at the next election. He added: "Democracy itself is at risk."
Defence and Sentencing
Katie Maloney, defending, said Price was now remorseful and at the time of the offending was struggling with his mental health and self-medicating with alcohol. Price told the court: "I have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours protesting. It all got too much for my head. My bipolar." Ms Maloney said he has since recognised he needs counselling and has curtailed his use of alcohol.
Passing sentence, District Judge Lucy Hogarth told the defendant: "You caused real fear and distress both to the targets and their staff. There was an implied threat of violence to Yvette Cooper. This kind of language is not going to change anybody's minds." Judge Hogarth said that, as there was some prospect of rehabilitation, the 16-week prison sentence could be suspended for 18 months. She also ordered an alcohol treatment programme, a probation requirement and unpaid work of 100 hours.
Price was ordered to pay £239 in victim's surcharge and court costs and given a 10-year restraining order preventing him from contacting any of the three MPs.
