Man who threatened to ‘decapitate’ John Bercow in five-month tirade over Brexit faces jail
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A self-confessed “angry man” who threatened to decapitate former Speaker John Bercow and said Jeremy Corbyn “should be hung” in a five-month tirade of abuse over Brexit is facing jail.
Paul Ritchie, 34, targeted prominent politicians including former Home Secretary Amber Rudd, SNP leader Ian Blackford, and ex-Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson during Britain’s withdrawal from the EU in 2019.
He sent emails to Chuka Umunna and Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey saying “we will kill you and your entire family”, told Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price that he “deserve(s) to get shot in the face”, asked Ms Swinson if she was “trying to get shot”, he sent gun symbols to Mr Blackford saying “I hope you die”, and told former attorney general Dominic Grieve: “If you stop Brexit we will decapitate you.
In messages to Mr Corbyn, Ritchie called him a “terrorist”, suggested he should be “hung for treason”, and added: “Murdering you would be fully justified”.
Ritchie, who now lives in a village on the Scottish borders, made repeated references in the messages to murdered MP Jo Cox, and told Mr Bercow: “If you thwart Brexit we will decapitate you.”
Despite the tirade of vitriol aimed at MPs perceived to be blocking Brexit, Ritchie has said openly he voted Remain in the 2016 referendum.
In an email to Ms Swinson, he revealed he had “personally voted Remain” but told her: “I wouldn’t even spit on you if you were burning to death – you have not accepted that Brexit won the vote.”
At Southwark crown court on Thursday, he admitted 28 counts of sending an electronic communication with intent to cause distress and anxiety, between March and August 2019.
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Judge Adam Hiddleston agreed to delay sentencing until June 18 for further mental health assessments to be carried out.
The court heard Ritchie has also admitted a string of similar offences that are due to be sentenced by the Scottish courts.
He used personal and work email accounts to send the abusive messages, at a time when the Brexit debate was raging across the country and former Prime Minister Theresa May tried and failed to get her deal with the EU approved by Parliament.
Mr Price said he was “unsettled, upset, and concerned for his personal safety” after receiving a threatening email from Ritchie as he had dinner with his family, shortly appearing on the Andrew Marr show to discuss Brexit.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who succeeded Mr Bercow as Speaker of the House, told the court he believes “democracy itself is at risk if as a result of threats and fear, MPs consider not standing for election, reduce interaction with constituents, and change the way they debate and vote in the House.”
He said a recent survey of MPs showed many do not feel safe enough to attend events alone and have cut back on public meetings.
An aide to Sir Ed Davey told the court she now fears opening packages as a result of Ritchie’s emails, adding that she wants Ritchie to understand “the MPs he writes to in the vast majority of cases won’t see the horrible emails and letters, but junior staffers like herself will bear the brunt of the vitriol”.
The court heard Ritchie, a businessman, is currently undergoing psychiatric treatment, and had been suffering depression as well as drinking heavily and taking drugs at the time of the offences.
He admitted to being an “angry man” when he was sending the messages, which “don’t bear any resemblance to his political views or voting history”.
Judge Hiddleston released Ritchie on bail until sentencing, on the condition that he does not contact MPs except his own representative.