Yorkshire man who sent threatening letter claiming 'Cox was first you are next' to female MP is jailed

Alden Bryce Barlow, 55, of Milton Walk, Doncaster, sent the letter conveying the threatening message to Anna Soubry, in her role as a Nottinghamshire MP.

In the letter he also referred to Ms Soubry as "treacherous" and "worthless".

Barlow was traced following analysis of both the letter, which had his fingerprints on the rear, and CCTV from the post office counter in the Doncaster branch of WH Smith, where he posted the letter.

It was addressed to Ms Soubry at her constituency office, and was opened by her constituency manager, who called the police.

Chief Crown Prosecutor Gerry Wareham said: "This letter contained a sickening and ominous threat to Ms Soubry, with an explicit reference to the murder of Jo Cox MP in 2016.

"Ms Soubry and her staff in the constituency office understandably found the message deeply disturbing and highly offensive.

"What is more attacks such as this on our elected representatives are attacks on democracy and perpetrators will be prosecuted.

"I hope the sentence Barlow received today is of some comfort to Ms Soubry and her colleagues and a deterrent to anyone else contemplating such despicable actions against a parliamentary representative or candidate."

Barlow, who appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday, was also given a 10 year restraining order preventing him from contacting Ms Soubry or going near the Nottingham constituency.

Mrs Cox was Labour MP for Batley and Spen when she was stabbed and shot outside a constituency surgery in Birstall, West Yorkshire, in 2016.