Viscount launches sentence appeal

A viscount who offered £5,000 on Facebook for someone to kill Brexit campaigner Gina Miller has been released from prison.

Rhodri Philipps, the 4th Viscount St Davids, was jailed for 12 weeks on Thursday for writing a number of offensive and racially abusive posts.

The 50-year-old was released on bail following a hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday after launching an appeal against his conviction.

Judge Michael Grieve told him: “It’s exceptional to be granting bail pending appeal.

“I’m prepared to grant you bail, it’s absolutely no reflection of your prospects on appeal. But I do think it would be wrong that you should effectively have served two thirds of your sentence before your appeal is heard.”

He also warned Philipps, also known as Lord St Davids, that he could be at risk of being given a longer sentence if his appeal fails.

The two-day appeal hearing is due to take place on August 10, when Ms Miller is expected to give evidence.

Philipps was also given a fiveyear restraining order at Westminster Magistrates’ Court after being convicted of two counts of sending menacing messages on a public electronic communications network.

His comment came just four days after Ms Miller, 52, won a landmark High Court challenge against the Government.

He posted: “£5,000 for the first person to ‘accidentally’ run over this bloody troublesome first generation immigrant.”

Philipps, of Knightsbridge, central London, described her as a “boat jumper”.