Man admits threatening to kill Ed Miliband

Ed Miliband was Labour leader between 2010 and 2015 and is the shadow climate change secretary

A man has admitted threatening to kill former Labour Party leader Ed Miliband in South Yorkshire earlier this year.

At Sheffield Crown Court on Friday, Michael Donaldson, 56, from Bentley, admitted one charge of making threats to kill to Mr Miliband in Doncaster on 23 March.

He denied a further charge of making threats to kill Mr Miliband to a police officer on the same day, but the court heard his pleas were acceptable to the Crown and there will not be a trial.

Donaldson is expected to be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on 12 July.

Mr Miliband is the shadow climate change secretary, has been MP for Doncaster North since 2005 and is standing as a candidate at the general election.

He led the Labour Party from 2010 until after the 2015 general election.

No details of the incident involving Donaldson were outlined in court.

The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, told the defendant: "This is a serious matter, for very obvious reasons.

"It's always a serious matter to threaten to kill anyone. To threaten to kill a member of parliament in the current situation, given the relatively recent history, is a serious crime."

Donaldson was remanded in custody.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].