Mike Freer: Man admits making threatening call to north London MP

A 46-year-old man has admitted calling the north London office of Finchley and Golders Green MP Mike Freer and saying: "I'm coming for you".

James Phillips, of Wood Green, admitted making a grossly offensive telephone call and assaulting a police officer.

The same day, the Tory MP said he would stand down at the next election after earlier death threats and an arson attack on his constituency office.

Phillips appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

The office of Mr Freer received three calls on 31 January, two of which were "heavy breathing" and the third was a "man with a London accent", prosecutor Adrita Ahmed said.

The caller said: "I'm coming for you," followed by an offensive expletive and then, "not just Mike Freer but you as well", Ms Ahmed added.

Phillips's phone call was recorded and workers in Mr Freer's office recognised the number as that of the defendant, the court heard.

He was arrested on Tuesday and taken into custody where he "swung his fist towards" a police officer who "jumped back", Ms Ahmed told the hearing.

Rita Patel, defending, said Phillips had a history of depression and anxiety.

He was given conditional bail by chief magistrate Paul Goldspring until his sentencing on 6 March.

Mr Goldspring told Phillips he could not "rule out the prospect of a custodial sentence being imposed".

A separate investigation into an arson attack at the MP's office on Christmas Eve is ongoing, with a man and a woman charged with arson with intent to endanger life.

The two incidents are not being linked, police said.

In his announcement that he would be standing down as an MP, Mr Freer said he could no longer put his family through the anxiety for his safety.

The Conservative justice minister said that "by the skin of my teeth I avoided being murdered" by Ali Harbi Ali, who went on to kill Southend West MP Sir David Amess.

Mr Freer said he and his staff wore stab vests when attending scheduled public events in his constituency after learning that Ali had watched his Finchley office before going on to kill Sir David during a constituency surgery in 2021.

In a letter to his local Conservative association, Mr Freer wrote it would "be an enormous wrench to step down", but the attacks had "weighed heavily on me and my husband, Angelo".

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]