Pensioner denies threat to kill and bomb scares

A Fife pensioner has denied an accusation of threatening to kill Theresa May.

Isabella Jackson also denied emailing a raft of bomb scares, including one at the Harrods department store, as well as US embassies in London and Paris, when she appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court yesterday.

The 72-year-old, who resides in Braehead Gardens, Buckhaven, faces a total of five charges of threatening and abusive behaviour under the Communications Act.

She appeared in court in her wheelchair, accused of having sent the threats to the Prime Minister when Mrs May was still in her previous role as Home Secretary.

The charges state that on November 24 2014, Jackson behaved in a threatening and abusive manner likely to cause fear or alarm at her home in Buckhaven, Fife, or at the Palace of Westminster.

A second charge alleges that on the same date, also at her home or at the GCHQ in Cheltenham, she then threatened to kill Mrs May.

Bomb scares against two US embassies are alleged to have been emailed between December 13 2014 and January 7 2015 at her home and GCHQ, while another charge alleges that on September 14 2015, the pensioner sent an email inducing the belief that there was a bomb at Harrods in Knightsbridge, London.

A further charge alleges that Jackson sent a message to Fife Council between August 30 and September 10 2015 stating that a Susan Johnston had died and caused her annoyance, inconvenience and needless anxiety.

The court heard that witnesses from Harrods had been cited, but defence solicitor Peter Mullen said that he was not yet ready to proceed to trial.

“One production still outstanding is the computer report which ties everything together,” he said.

“Once that is received it is likely the defence computer expert will require to be instructed and a report prepared from him.”

Sheriff Jamie Gilchrist ordered a further pre-trial hearing for next week.