£40 fine for constituency office attack
A WAREHOUSE worker arrested after kicking out at the front door of Labour MP Jess Phillips’s constituency office a day after a heated Parliamentary Brexit debate has been fined £40.
Michael Roby was said to be “hyper” when he was detained by police after shouting “Is this the Fascist Party offices?” and “Why are you blocking democracy?” on September 26.
Roby, 36, of Vimy Road, Billesley, Birmingham, emerged from the city magistrates’ court after admitting a public order offence, and claimed he had been taken to court “for standing up for democracy”.
Roby was also ordered to pay £135 in court costs and a £32 victim surcharge.
Magistrates were told Roby was arrested after staff at Ms Phillips’s office alerted police at about 2.30pm that a man was outside “calling everyone fascists” and that they had turned off an intercom.
The front door of the office in Acocks Green was also kicked with force – although no damage was caused, the court heard.
Roby told police he was annoyed with Ms Phillips’s political views and became angry and banged the door with his fist because it was shut.
Roby’s lawyer told the court he had lost his job, was remorseful for his actions and suffered from depression and anxiety amid concerns he had mental ill-health following a breakdown.
After emerging from court, Roby referred to himself as working class and shouted at reporters: “I have stood up for democracy. Look what happened. I got sent to court.”