Stab threat MP: Internet firms must stop hate

aN MP yesterday urged Facebook and Twitter to do more to tackle online hate crime after a man was jailed for threatening to stab her to death.

caroline ansell, pictured, the Tory MP for Eastbourne and Willingdon, was sent the death threat on Facebook by factory worker Mark Sands, 51, in November.

he was jailed for four months yesterday after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to posting the threatening message.

Brighton Magistrates’ court heard that Sands, from Eastbourne, who was angry at proposed disability cuts, had written: ‘If you vote to take £30 off my money, I will personally come round to your house... and stab you to death.’

he posted additional messages including, ‘End poverty, kill a Tory now’. under the political views section of his profile, he wrote ‘Kill your local MP’ and included references to murdered MP Jo cox.

Martina Sherlock, prosecuting, told the court that following his arrest, Sands told a mental health nurse: ‘It’s not like I killed her. Maybe I should.’

Mrs ansell welcomed the sentence as a deterrent to others, and called on social media giants to clamp down on abuse.

She said: ‘The threat made against me was very upsetting. as a politician, I fully accept to be disagreed with. however, the line between the rough and tumble of political debate and abuse has blurred.

‘This needs to be dealt with by society making it clear it is unacceptable and by social media providers such as Facebook and Twitter better policing content.’

Mrs ansell said she had had to tighten security when in her constituency after receiving the threats.

Jailing Sands, District Judge christopher James said: ‘It was designed to instil fear in her, and it has succeeded in that.’