A Conservative activist has been jailed for sending messages threatening a Labour MP.
Joshua Spencer, 25, of Eddystone Rise, Knottingley, West Yorkshire, previously admitted one charge of sending an offensive and menacing message when he appeared at Leeds Magistrates' Court last month.
Under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 it is an offence for a person to send by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character. The maximum penalty for this offence is 26 weeks' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction.
Spencer, who has previously stood for election as a Conservative councillor, got involved in heated Brexit debate with a friend on Facebook. His venom turned towards Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who he accused of trying to thwart a no-deal Brexit on 29th March 2019.
"We should have left no deal on the 29th before the whore Yvette got her hands on to it and voted to revoke democracy. She will pay. I'm already organising to hurt her. Amazing what crackheads will do for £100. I'm going to get her beat up," he wrote.
In another message he said: "It's doing me head in that Labour who claim to represent the working class are actively going against the working class. If you make peaceful revolution difficult you make a violent one inevitable."
The recipient was so concerned by Spencer's tone, that he blocked him on Facebook and forwarded the messages to his own Leeds Central MP, Hillary Benn.
Mr Benn's office forwarded the messages to Ms Cooper's office and the police were informed.
Spencer was arrested by police on 22nd April 2019. He denied sending the messages, but evidence was discovered when his laptop was seized and examined.
He was interviewed by police in July 2019. When confronted with the evidence he said he could not remember sending the messages, which he described as "vile".
Sheik Amin, mitigating, said his client had written the message when he was angry, in poor mental health at the time and in drink.
Mr Amin said: "He accepts sending the messages to his friend and did not intend to get Yvette Cooper beaten up.
"He was just venting."
District Judge Marie Mallon, sitting at Leeds Magistrates' Court, said the offence was "particularly serious" given the murder of Jo Cox MP in June 2016.
Spencer was sentenced to 9 weeks' custody and made subject to a 10-year restraining order preventing him from contacting Ms Cooper or Jade Botterill, her former office manager, either directly or indirectly, by any means whatsoever.
He was also ordered to pay £115 victim surcharge and £85 towards prosecution costs.
The Conservative Party said in a statement: "Mr Spencer has been expelled from the party, following his suspension from the party when he was charged in court for these offences."
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