Man jailed for abusive emails to politicians

A 39-year-old man has been jailed for sending malicious communications to a government minister, the mayor of London and a senior Met Police officer.

Jack Bennett, of Newlands Park, Seaton, Devon, pleaded guilty to four counts of sending malicious emails; one to Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips, one to Metropolitan police officer Matt Twist, and two counts to Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Bennett was also charged with one count of using a public communication network to send offensive emails.

District judge Stuart Smith said the emails were "utterly deplorable, foul, abusive and saturated in hate".

Exeter Magistrates' Court heard how during the Covid-19 pandemic Bennett became exposed to right wing propaganda.

Mr Smith said Bennett's "angry, poisonous and hateful rhetoric showed disdain for Muslims and immigrants".

He said the three prominent public figures felt fearful after receiving the emails, especially Birmingham Yardley MP Phillips following the murder of her colleague, MP Jo Cox, in 2016.

Bennett pleaded guilty to all five charges over the incidents between February 2024 and January 2025.

He was jailed for 28 weeks and also given a restraining order stopping him from contacting the three public figures for five years.

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