Nuisance caller sentenced over Sadiq Khan threat

Christopher Massey was sentenced for making threats to London mayor Sadiq Khan through 999 police calls

A man who told police in a nuisance call that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, was "going to get shot in the head" has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Christopher Massey, 53, from Ipswich, called Suffolk Police claiming: "There's going to be an emergency".

He previously admitted two counts of sending communication that threatened death or serious harm, contrary to the Online Safety Act 2023.

Massey was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for one year, and was ordered to pay £299 and complete a 12-month alcohol treatment programme.

'Very drunk'

In an emergency call played to Ipswich Magistrates' Court, Massey was heard to say: "Look mate, there's an emergency.

"I hear Mayor Khan is going to get a bullet in the back of his skull in the next few weeks as he's f***ing off the English."

In a second call, Massey also made reference to police flying the "hippy flag" and the "rainbow flag".

Anna O'Brien, prosecuting, said the two calls to police on 24 February were made "very close together".

She told the court when Massey was arrested that evening he was "very drunk".

He told officers: "I’m like that, I do that sort of thing, I’m a nightmare."

Ms O'Brien said the defendant also said Mr Khan "shouldn't be in the country" and he told officers in an interview that he "felt he was the only Englishman in his area".

David Allan, mitigating, said Massey was "probably rehashing the nonsense he's heard from Lee Anderson... in a drunken call".

Former Conservative party deputy chairman Mr Anderson, who has since defected to Reform UK, had claimed "Islamists" had "got control" of Mr Khan and that the first Muslim London mayor had "given away our capital" to such extremists.

'Racist and homophobic'

The charges against Massey were brought under the Online Safety Act which passed into law last year.

The presiding magistrate, Colin Reeve, told Massey: "We take the view your intentions when you made that call were clearly racist and homophobic."

When standing in the dock, Massey told the court: "I've just got to stop drinking."

Mr Khan was asked about the case. He said: "I think responsible politicians bring communities together rather than alienating them.”

He said it was “really important for the Conservative Party to realise this is the consequence of putting a man like Lee Anderson as deputy chairman”.

Former Conservative Party deputy chairman Mr Anderson, who has since defected to Reform UK, had claimed that "Islamists" had "got control" of Mr Khan and that the first Muslim London mayor had "given away our capital" to extremists.

“I think they should be ashamed they didn’t call him out for making comments that are clearly Islamophobic, anti-Muslim and racist,” Mr Khan added.