Man pleads guilty to sending ‘vile and abusive’ email to Labour MP Angela Rayner

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A man has admitted sending a “vile and abusive” email to Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner following the publication of a national newspaper article about the politician.

David Perry pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to charges of sending grossly offensive communication and indecent communication to the Ashton-under-Lyne MP, in May last year.

The prosecution came after Ms Rayner, 43, requested a victim’s right to review (VRR) after an initial decision was made not to prosecute the 66-year-old.

A CPS spokesman said that Perry’s email 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 also made “crude and offensive references” to Ms Rayner’s appearance and accused her of being a “puppet of the industrial military complex”.

He also 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.”

The email, which was sent to the constituency mailbox of Ms Rayner, was traced to Perry and he was arrested by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in July 2022.

The CPS spokesman said: “In police interview, Perry accepted that the email address was his, but denied sending the email, claiming he had been hacked, but he was unable to produce any evidence to support his claims that his Wi-Fi or IT systems had been hacked by a third party.

“In a victim personal statement, Ms Rayner said she was ‘appalled at the level of repugnant malice’ directed towards her in the email and questioned why anyone would think it was acceptable to send such offensive words to a woman.”

Perry, of Weybridge, Surrey, will be sentenced on November 16 at Staines Magistrates’ Court.

Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, 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.”

Detective Inspector Christopher Dean of GMP’s Tameside CID said: “Abusive and threatening communication, towards anyone, is unacceptable and not only impacts the life of those they are directed at but also those close to them.

“The abusive correspondence sent to this woman left her understandably distressed.

“We launched a full investigation to identify those responsible and I hope today’s guilty plea and the subsequent date for sentencing clearly demonstrates that these actions have consequences.”