Labour MP Naz Shah: Man who sent 'violent threats' and 'racist taunts' jailed
- Published
Stewart Hanson sent "vicious, racist taunts" and threats to Labour MP Naz Shah
An MP feared for her family's safety after being sent an email containing "threats of violence", a court heard.
Stewart Hanson, 57, sent racist and religious taunts to Naz Shah, Labour MP for Bradford West, in October, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
The "vicious" email threatened the MP and her family, causing "alarm, harassment and distress", the CPS said.
Hanson, of The Woodlands in Tranmere, Merseyside, was jailed for 12 weeks at Wirral Magistrates' Court.
The "malicious" email caused Ms Shah "significant alarm, harassment and distress", the CPS said
He earlier pleaded guilty to sending an offensive message by public communication.
Hanson used violent language, made religiously offensive comments, and threatened Ms Shah and her family in the email sent to the MP's work account on 20 October 2018.
He also accused her of anti-Semitism and suggested she had tried to silence the victims of the Rotherham child abuse scandal, the CPS said.
Ms Shah, who is Labour's shadow minister for women and equalities, contacted West Yorkshire Police who traced the emails to Hanson's account, the CPS said.
'Racist taunts'
When Hanson was questioned by police he said he was "ashamed of himself", Alan Currums from the CPS said.
He said District Judge Nick Sanders "pointed out that Ms Shah's constituency is not a million miles away from that of Jo Cox".
He said an MP's public role "should not mean that they are targets of vicious, racist taunts and criticism that goes way beyond fair comment".
Mr Currums said Hanson, who has no previous convictions, has "lost his good name and his freedom" for "a vicious, racist and offensive email that has created fear, alarm and distress. A lesson to anyone who takes to their keyboard to peddle hate".
The judge increased Hanson's jail time from eight to 12 weeks to account for the religious hatred element of the crime.