Pensioner who sent ‘vile and abusive’ email to Labour’s Angela Rayner fined
A Surrey pensioner who sent a “vile and abusive email” to Labour[1] deputy leader Angela Rayner has been fined – after she appealed a decision not to prosecute. David Perry, 66, from Weybridge sent the ‘highly offensive’ message to the 43-year-old MP, in which he called her ‘an ugly menopausal pig.’
The prosecution came after Ms Rayner requested a victim’s right to review (VRR) after an initial decision was made not to prosecute the pensioner. In the email, Perry made crude and offensive references to Ms Rayner’s appearance and accused her of being a ‘puppet of the industrial military complex.’
He also referenced a Mail on Sunday article which suggested Ms Rayner had crossed and uncrossed her legs to distract Boris Johnson during Prime Minister’s Questions. Perry wrote: “Please get off the news channels and go get a job in a fish factory.”
The email also stated: “Do you really think anybody would be interested in an ugly menopausal pig like you? With your sad old m****, which you could throw a kipper up, typical career politician, useless, no experience, no qualifications.”
In a victim statement, Ms Rayner said she was ‘appalled at the level of repugnant malice’ directed towards her in the email. She also questioned why anyone would think it was acceptable to send such offensive words.
The email, which was sent to the constituency mailbox of Ms Rayner, was traced back to Perry and he was arrested by Greater Manchester Police in July 2022. In a police interview, Perry accepted the email address was his but denied sending the email and instead claimed he had been hacked.
However, he was unable to produce any evidence to support his claims his Wi-Fi or IT systems had been hacked by a third party. Perry, of Weybridge[4], Surrey, previously pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates Court to a charge of sending grossly offensive communication to the MP.
He was fined £700 and ordered to pay £300 in costs at Staines[5] Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, December 28. Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, described Perry’s email as ‘completely unacceptable.’
She said: “Perry’s email was highly offensive and insulting to Ms Rayner, and his comments have no place in a civilised society. Neither she nor her constituency staff should have to be subjected to such vitriol – it is completely unacceptable.
“The public should know that they cannot simply send such grossly offensive communications without repercussions. Online communications can be traced and people breaking the law will be brought to justice.”
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References
- ^ Labour (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ Take on our 10 question quiz to find out just how Surrey you are (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ Severely vulnerable residents forced to leave Woking care home (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ Weybridge (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ Staines (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ here (www.getsurrey.co.uk)