A Wirral man has been jailed after sending threats to a Labour politician.
Stewart Hanson emailed a number of offensive comments to Naz Shah’s Parliamentary account in October last year which included anti-Semitism.
He also suggested that the Bradford West MP had attempted to silence victims of the Rotherham child abuse scandal, the Crown Prosecution Service revealed.
The email included a ‘threat of violence’ against Ms Shah and members of her family which had caused them serious ‘alarm, harassment and distress’.
Hanson, of The Woodlands in Tranmere, pleaded guilty to sending by public communication an offensive message and was sentenced to 12 weeks behind bars.
At Wirral Magistrates’ Court, District Judge Nick Sander ordered the 57-year-old to also pay £300 in compensation to the victim for the
Alan Currums, from the CPS’ Mersey Cheshire branch, said: “MPs have a difficult job to do and are often in the public glare.
“That should not mean that they are targets of vicious, racist taunts and criticism that goes way beyond fair comment. District Judge Sanders pointed out that Ms Shah’s constituency is not a million miles away from that of Jo Cox.
“People often think that, when they send an email or social media communication from the privacy of their own home, they can’t be traced.
“That is not true at all. The police and the CPS work together to protect the community from these people who take to their computers to spout hatred, violence and fear.
“There is no room for this sort of behaviour in a civilised society. Mr Hanson has no previous convictions and is now behind bars.
“He’s lost his good name and his freedom – for what? A vicious, racist and offensive email that has created fear alarm and distress.
“A lesson to anyone who takes to their keyboard to peddle hate.”