A man who harassed a Labour MP for being “English”, and claimed he knew where he lived, has been given a suspended jail sentence.
Michael Glover, 59, left a note on Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell’s office door in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, on 10 March, and carried an axe to the pub the following day.
In the letter, which he signed, he also wrote that he had taken “a look around” Tufnell’s family home and had “left some presents”.
The MP said he felt “uneasy” that the defendant said he knew where he lived with his family, including his newborn baby.
Swansea Crown Court heard Glover, who is a wheelchair user and has “complex mental health difficulties”, was “frustrated” because of a delay in his application for a blue badge.
The court heard that CCTV captured the defendant taping a bag, which contained the letter, to the front door of Tufnell’s office. He then made “gestures” to the camera before driving away.
On 11 March, he carried an axe in a plastic bag to a local pub, and picked it up in front of a member of the public.
Glover was arrested that day, and later pleaded guilty to both charges at the magistrates’ court.
Regan Walters, prosecuting, read a victim personal statement by Tufnell, who said the incident made him feel “uncomfortable”.
“Knowing that Glover knows where I live with my wife and young child has made me rethink things, such as the security of my address,” the politician said.
He said he had to be mindful that his “panic alarms and CCTV cameras are working” and that, when he worked away, he felt “on edge, wondering if [his family] are safe”.
Joseph Hocquard, representing Glover, said his client had been in custody for the past four months for breaching a probation order, which he said had been “incredibly challenging” because of his mental health and disabilities.
Glover appeared via video link with his barrister in the cells at Swansea Crown Court because of a “technical issue” with the lift in the building.
Judge Mark Powell KC told him “members of parliament are there to advocate for their constituents”.
He said: “They are entitled to go about their business, without being subject to the sort of threats and harassment that you carried out… regardless of if they are English or not English.”
He also said that brandishing an axe in public would have been “extremely frightening for those around” but that he “didn’t intend to harm anyone”.
The judge told the court that it was “frustration” and a “deterioration in his mental state” that led to Glover committing the offence.
He said he was satisfied the defendant had shown remorse for both offences, and that he needed support and medication for his “complex mental health” needs.
Judge Powell gave him a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, as well as a five-year restraining order.
He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £154.