Man sent malicious email to brawl MP

A MAN has pleaded guilty to sending a malicious email to a Leeds MP following his assault in a House of Commons bar.

Nicholas Scales emailed Tory Stuart Andrew saying he hoped the IRA would reform and bomb a Conservative Party conference.

Scales, 41, of Farnham, Surrey, also called Mr Andrew a “queer” and a “mummies (sic) boy” and said he would have known how to defend himself if he had been on a night out in Leeds or Bradford.

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Leeds Magistrates Court heard Scales sent the email on February 25 after the MP, who represents Pudsey, Horsforth and Aireborough, was assaulted by Labour politician Eric Joyce in the Strangers Bar.

The email, directed to the Conservative MP’s constituency office in Calverley, told Mr Andrew to “stop wasting police time and get your ******* job done”.

Sarah Nelson, prosecuting, told magistrates that when Scales was interviewed by police he admitted sending the message.

She said Scales, who pleaded guilty to sending a malicious communication, had “strong opinions” in relation to the Brighton bombings and said he hoped more Conservative Party members were involved.

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Part of the email was read to the court and said: “The sooner the IRA restarts and bombs your conference again the better.”

It continued: “You Tory ***** are all the ******* same”.

During the interview with police Scales said he had no connection with Mr Andrew and had no intention of carrying out the threats.

Femi Odenekan, defending, said there was no excuse. “There was no excuse for this. He felt he wanted to say something and that was it.

“It was very disrespectful to Mr Andrew that this email was sent to his email address. He should have realised how offensive these comments were.”

He added that Scales was seeing a psychotherapist.

The case was adjourned for reports and Scales will be sentenced at a later date.