'Jo Cox' threat to Anna Soubry: Man jailed for sending letter

The letter was sent to Anna Soubry at her constituency office in Nottingham

A man who threatened Change UK leader Anna Soubry, referencing the murdered MP Jo Cox, has been jailed for a year.

Alden Bryce Barlow, 55, of Milton Walk, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, sent a letter to Ms Soubry in her constituency in Nottingham.

The message read: "Cox was first, you are next" and referred to Ms Soubry as "treacherous" and "worthless".

He was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court and given a 10-year order preventing him from contacting Ms Soubry.

He was also ordered not to go near Ms Soubry's constituency address in Nottingham.

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The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the letter was addressed to her constituency office, and was opened by her constituency manager who called police.

Jo Cox was murdered in 2016 in Birstall, West Yorkshire

Barlow was traced by his fingerprints on the letter and from CCTV at the post office counter in the Doncaster branch of WH Smith, where he posted it.

He was then charged with sending a letter conveying a threatening message, which he admitted.

Chief Crown Prosecutor Gerry Wareham said: "This letter contained a sickening and ominous threat to Ms Soubry, with an explicit reference to the murder of Jo Cox MP in 2016.

"Ms Soubry and her staff in the constituency office understandably found the message deeply disturbing and highly offensive.

"What is more, attacks such as this on our elected representatives are attacks on democracy and perpetrators will be prosecuted."

Jo Cox died in 2016 after she was shot and stabbed while on her way to meet constituents in Birstall, West Yorkshire.