19/04/2019
A Brexit-supporting troll who sent death threats and racist messages to MPs has been jailed for nearly 10 months. Jarod Kirkman, aged 51, was sentenced to five weeks for each of the six counts of sending threatening messages, as well as a 12-week custody sentence for the racist messages to Labour MP David Lammy.
The sentences are to be served consecutively, meaning a total of 42 weeks in custody.
Kirkman, 51, sent malicious messages to seven politicians, including former cabinet minister Nicky Morgan and Mr Lammy. Some messages were sent through the MPs' websites and had subject lines such as, “Brexit traitor” and “Brexit loser.” They were sent from, assuringly fake, email addresses including MP@deadpoliticianwalking.com and putin@fsb.ru.
Kirkman sent a message to Heidi Allen, of the Independent Group, saying: “Your days are fucking numbered bitch. Will it be polonium or novichok? Either way you will never know, expect it soon.”
The court was told Kirkman told Mr Lammy: “Go back to the jungle n***** where you belong”, while another said “fuck off and die in the jungle”.
He also sent threatening emails to Labour MPs Yvette Cooper and Jenny Chapman, Conservative Ms Morgan, former Tory Nick Boles, and Sarah Wollaston and Ms Allen of the Independent Group.
The messages apparently caused distress and anxiety to the MPs' staff who opened them.
Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot said: “You're described essentially as a typical troll - sending odious messages but presenting as a pitiful figure. You deliberately targeted MPs, from the safety of your home. You threatened them. Instead of expressing your views appropriately, you chose to threaten to kill them."
Given the fact that we have had one MP murdered by a white supremacist and plots to murder at least one more have been thwarted, this sort of behaviour cannot be ignored. It is wholly unacceptable to threaten to murder people for their politics.
Whilst this is not fair to suggest that this behaviour is typical of all, or even a large percentage of, Brexit voters, it is clear that white supremacists and xenophobic bigots were seduced by the campaign messages of Nigel Farage and Aaron Banks and some of these extremists have little regard for proper boundaries and true democracy.
Kirkman was handed a five-year restraining order not to contact any of the seven MPs. He is additionally restricted from contacting any MP in a threatening or intimidating manner.
It is disturbing that there is a need to issue such a restriction in our, supposedly civilised, society.
Whilst the prison sentence and further restrictions may be warranted in this case, perhaps they should actually be accompanied by compulsory education in areas such as inclusion and tolerance .
In a society where hate is given a platform to grow, we should take every opportunity to pour weedkiller on the sprouts of hate and instead plant the seeds of understanding and acceptance.
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