Anna Soubry: Man sentenced for Jo Cox tweet

Anna Soubry received messages of support from people on Twitter after the comment was posted

A man who tweeted asking for someone to "Jo Cox" an MP has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Michael McAlpine, 25, from Bethnal Green, London, posted the comment about the Conservative MP for Broxtowe, Anna Soubry, last December.

He was sentenced at Westminster Magistrates' Court to 10 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, for sending offensive messages.

Last June, Labour MP Jo Cox was shot dead - a week before the EU referendum.

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McAlpine was arrested on 3 December 2016 for this tweet

The Nottinghamshire MP took screenshots of the tweets and reported the messages to police.

The court heard McAlpine tried to cover his tracks by deleting his Twitter account and tweets.

He was arrested on 3 December 2016 and charged on 23 May.

McAlpine was given 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £500 to Ms Soubry in compensation

McAlpine pleaded guilty to two counts of sending a message that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing nature.

He was also sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £500 to Ms Soubry in compensation and costs of £150.

After the sentencing, Ms Soubry tweeted she would donate the money to the Jo Cox Foundation.

She thanked the Metropolitan Police and Far Right Watch for their "support & excellent work in bringing Michael McAlpine to justice".

In April, John Wombell, 58, from West Drayton, London, who called Ms Soubry's office and said she should be "Jo Cox'd" was jailed for eight weeks.

Thomas Mair was jailed for life after being found guilty of the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox