Man guilty of stalking MP Sir Gavin Williamson

Sir Gavin Williamson told the court he felt threatened by the stalking incidents

A man has been convicted of stalking former Education Secretary Sir Gavin Williamson.

Simon Parry, 45, of no fixed address, had "persistently followed" the South Staffordshire MP on two occasions earlier this year, his trial heard.

City of London Magistrates' Court was told the defendant spoke about arresting Sir Gavin and flashed what appeared to be a police warrant card.

Parry was convicted of one count of stalking, while a charge of impersonating a police officer had been dropped.

Simon Parry denied the charges against him in the case

The defendant is due to be sentenced at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 16 November.

At the latest hearing, magistrates heard the incidents took place on 24 May and 14 June.

Giving evidence, Sir Gavin said Parry had followed him along streets in Whitehall on two occasions after he passed a protest area opposite Downing Street.

Of the May incident, the MP said he heard the defendant making comments about vaccinations while walking in "close proximity" to him.

Sir Gavin told the court he perceived the defendant to be "aggressive" and the incident "felt very unpleasant".

He added: "You felt as if this was part of intimidation or sort of trying to make a publicity work or something along those lines."

Parry (left) was accompanied to the court by Piers Corbyn, brother of ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn

During the June incident, Sir Gavin said Parry directed further comments at him about vaccinations and mentioned genocide.

The politician carried on walking while speaking to a constituent on his phone, magistrates heard.

Sir Gavin said Parry's "persistence" in following him towards Euston was "quite disturbing".

"It was quite evident that this individual was hostile to myself," Sir Gavin said.

He continued: "Why should I, you know, not do what I thought was my job because this very aggressive person was harassing me and pursuing me?"

The MP explained he believed Mr Parry then flashed a warrant card and spoke about arresting him.

Sir Gavin said he asked the constituent he was speaking to to stay on the line as a "comfort" until Parry stopped following him.

The court heard the incidents left the MP "fretful" and "fearful" about his safety.

"When someone is acting in such an extreme way... you don't really know what they're capable of doing," he said.

District judge Tan Ikram accepted there was no case to answer for the charge of impersonating a police officer.

Olivia Beach, defending, argued the evidence was "so poor or weak" that it would be unsafe to convict Parry on that charge.

The judge upheld her submission.

The defendant appeared at court with Piers Corbyn, brother to former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Sir Gavin served as defence secretary before becoming education secretary under the then-PM Boris Johnson in 2019.