Controversial influencer Ed Matthews has been ordered to pay a fine of £4,500 after making a derogatory comment to a Sainsbury's supermarket worker. The 24-year-old, known as a 'manosphere influencer', pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
Incident at Lancaster store
The incident took place at a Sainsbury's store in Lancaster on March 2, where Matthews and four other men surrounded a female member of staff. The woman, who had her arm in a sling due to an injury, was left feeling "trapped," Preston Magistrates Court heard.
She had been cleaning up the store near the alcohol aisle when one of the men asked where the meat was. The group then began questioning the woman about British food. Matthews then asked the woman, who is Polish, "whether she liked English wood." The prosecutor told the court: "She knew this meant penis, and she said no." Ed then asked the female worker if she liked "Polish wood".
Court details and sentencing
The court was told that Matthews, who was on crutches at the time, had "vividly" told the woman that he had injured his leg "during a threesome". The female employee "felt trapped as they had surrounded her". She ended up giving one of the men in the group her Instagram account in order to make them go away, the court heard.
The employee reported the incident to her boss, and the police were then able to identify Matthews. He was subsequently interviewed in August but responded no comment to all questions.
Matthews' lawyer, Saf Rathor, told the hearing that the content creator makes an estimated £5,000 to £10,000 per month and he was "embarrassed and ashamed" over his behaviour. Rathor added that his client had now "turned to God" and had "turned over a new leaf" following his time in prison, and "wants to inspire the young".
Matthews was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison for attacking an alleged paedophile in a sting operation. He was ordered to pay a £2,884 fine, a £1,154 victim surcharge, £500 in compensation, and £85 in costs.
Magistrate's remarks
Chairing magistrate Deborah Topping told the court that Matthews had taken a lead role, adding that "the lady felt trapped". She said: "It wasn't just one or two words, and then you walked away – it was sustained."
Matthews appeared on Inside the Manosphere on Netflix earlier this year and was interviewed by Louis Theroux while he was in Marbella. During the show, he shared anti-Semitic claims, claiming that Jewish people controlled the world "without the best intentions". He later hit out at the show after it aired, asking whether it was a "hit piece".
