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Man fined £110 for sending abusive email to Tory MP | Man fined £110 for sending abusive email to Tory MP |
(7 days later) | |
A man who abused a Tory MP in a crude email after the politician was headbutted by a rival at Westminster was fined £110 and ordered to pay £100 costs yesterday. Nicholas Scales told MP Stuart Andrew to "stop wasting police time and get your fucking job done", Leeds magistrates court heard. | A man who abused a Tory MP in a crude email after the politician was headbutted by a rival at Westminster was fined £110 and ordered to pay £100 costs yesterday. Nicholas Scales told MP Stuart Andrew to "stop wasting police time and get your fucking job done", Leeds magistrates court heard. |
Scales said Eric Joyce, the Labour MP who attacked Andrew in the Strangers Bar at the House of Commons in February, "probably knocked some sense into your small-minded Tory mind". | Scales said Eric Joyce, the Labour MP who attacked Andrew in the Strangers Bar at the House of Commons in February, "probably knocked some sense into your small-minded Tory mind". |
The rant continued, saying if the MP had ever been out in Leeds or Bradford he would have known how to defend himself. | The rant continued, saying if the MP had ever been out in Leeds or Bradford he would have known how to defend himself. |
The court heard how Scales, 41, of Upper Hale Road, Farnham, Surrey, sent the email to Andrew's constituency office in Leeds and it was read by a secretary. It arrived three days after the MP was attacked by Joyce, MP for Falkirk. | The court heard how Scales, 41, of Upper Hale Road, Farnham, Surrey, sent the email to Andrew's constituency office in Leeds and it was read by a secretary. It arrived three days after the MP was attacked by Joyce, MP for Falkirk. |
Scales, who pleaded guilty to sending a malicious communication last month, was not working and has mental health issues. He will pay the fine and costs out of his benefits. | Scales, who pleaded guilty to sending a malicious communication last month, was not working and has mental health issues. He will pay the fine and costs out of his benefits. |
Femi Odenekan, defending, told magistrates: "It was offensive, I make no bones about it. The defendant accepts that." | Femi Odenekan, defending, told magistrates: "It was offensive, I make no bones about it. The defendant accepts that." |
Lin Burgess, chairman of the bench, told him: "We note your previous good character, early guilty plea and co-operation with the police and have had the benefit of a lengthy pre-sentence report. We consider this a serious offence due to the content of the communication sent." | Lin Burgess, chairman of the bench, told him: "We note your previous good character, early guilty plea and co-operation with the police and have had the benefit of a lengthy pre-sentence report. We consider this a serious offence due to the content of the communication sent." |
She issued a restraining order preventing Scales from contacting the MP directly or indirectly for 12 months. | She issued a restraining order preventing Scales from contacting the MP directly or indirectly for 12 months. |