Angela Rayner: Man sentenced for threats to Labour deputy leader

A man who sent deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner a threatening email telling her to "watch your back and your kids" has been sentenced.

Benjamin Iliffe, 36, sent the email to the Ashton-under-Lyne MP from his personal account on 16 October, Huntingdon Magistrates' Court heard.

He admitted sending the email and possessing cannabis.

Iliffe, of Chatteris in Cambridgeshire, was sentenced to 15 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months.

He was also made subject of a two-year restraining order not to contact Ms Rayner directly or indirectly, not to talk about her on social media and not to go to her office in Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester.

The court heard Iliffe warned Ms Rayner to "watch your back and your kids" in the email along with calling her a four-letter expletive.

He also said it had been "easy to find" her personal home address.

Sentencing him, presiding magistrate Andrew Riddington said the offence was "so serious because of the psychological harm caused to a public servant".

However, he said the sentence could be suspended because of Iliffe's guilty pleas and the "remorse shown".

Claire Thorneley, defending, said Iliffe sent the email from his personal account "with no attempt to disguise himself".

"He was very apologetic and remorseful," she said.

"He's expressed twice that he would wish an opportunity to apologise personally to Ms Rayner for the fear and distress he caused."

Iliffe was also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 35 days of a rehabilitation activity.

He was made to pay £85 costs, a £128 victim surcharge and fined £50 for the cannabis, which was ordered to be forfeited and destroyed.