Trial of man accused of threat to MP adjourned

THE man accused of sending a threatening email to Newbury MP Laura Farris has coronavirus symptoms, a court heard.

Ian Howgate, of Ley Gardens, Speen, had been due at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Tuesday.

The 56-year-old allegedly sent an email to Mrs Farris in which he referred to the killing of British politician Andrew Pennington.

In January 2000 Mr Pennington was acting as an assistant to the Liberal Democrat MP for Cheltenham Nigel Jones when he was stabbed nine times by a constituent wielding a Samurai sword while trying to protect his colleague.

Mr Pennington was posthumously awarded the George Medal by the Queen in October 2001.

Mrs Farris had complained to police after staff at her office reportedly received the message referencing the killing from Mr Howgate on March 30.

At a preliminary hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in August Mr Howgate denied a single charge of sending a menacing message.

Mr Howgate, who was representing himself. was granted conditional bail by presiding magistrate Emma Arbuthnot and told to come back for a case management hearing on Tuesday.

But at that latest hearing, the court was told Mr Howgate was suffering from coronavirus symptoms and the case could proceed no further.

The matter was adjourned until December 31 and Mr Howgate’s conditional bail was extended until then on condition he does not contact Mrs Farris or any member of her staff or enter the Newbury Conservative Party constituency office in Park Street.