Robert Vidler: Brexit supporter jailed for death threats to MPs

A Brexit-supporting father-of-three who left voicemail death threats for a number of MPs has been jailed.

Robert Vidler's trial at London Magistrates' Court heard that he used expletives and threatened violence in calls to the offices of Labour and Conservative MPs in January.

The court heard that messages left for independent MP Nick Boles (Grantham and Stamford) and Tory MP Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield) were intercepted by members of staff working for them.

In addition, calls were picked up by staff at the offices of shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer, Labour MP Barry Gardiner (Brent North), Tory MP Nicky Morgan (Loughborough), and Labour MP Jenny Chapman (Darlington).

The 64-year-old from west Harrow in London denied five charges of harassment without violence against MPs' staff and three counts of sending menacing or obscene messages or material over a public communications network.

He was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison for each of the offences, all to be served concurrently, and ordered to pay £300 costs and a £115 victim surcharge.

Vidler has also been made subject to a criminal behaviour order which prevents him from contacting any MP except his own.

Philip Stott, prosecuting, told the court the calls were made to the offices of MPs who were "considered to be anti-Brexit".

"The calls were all made from the defendant's mobile telephone," Mr Stott said.

"He states that he did not make the calls and someone else must have done so using his telephone."

Several of the voicemails were played to the court.

In one message left for Mr Boles on 13 January, picked up by his personal assistant, Vidler said: "Nick Boles, if you f*** up Brexit we will cut your f***** throat. We know where you live and we know your f****** timetable and we ain't joking."

In a voicemail from the previous day, received by one of Mr Grieve's staff, Vidler said: "Hello, Mr Grieve. We know your f***** timetable and we know where you f****** live, ok?"

Another voicemail left for Mr Grieve was picked up by his senior parliamentary assistant.

The message on 13 January warned: "You're dead, Grieve, we know where you and your f****** family live."

A parliamentary researcher for Mr Gardiner received a voicemail for the Labour MP on 17 January which said: "No deal is the only deal and that will be the deal.

"We are leaving in March, when will you understand that? The only thing that is likely to be extended is your neck."

A parliamentary assistant to Sir Keir picked up a call on 16 January in which Vidler told her: "Keir Starmer is a walking f****** dead man. He is a traitor and I am going to cut his neck."

Vidler was arrested after voluntarily attending Harrow police station that same month and handing over his phone.

An analysis of the device's contents found Google searches for the MPs targeted and text messages to Vidler's daughter in which he expressed his pro-Brexit views.

The court heard that Vidler called politicians "absolute scumbags" and said the "Brexit fiddle" was angering him.

Giving evidence, Vidler said he had "no idea" how the calls were made from his pay-as-you-go phone.

"I support Brexit, yes, I admit that, but not to the extent that I would phone up people. I wouldn't waste my time and money doing that," he said.

Vidler also said that he would not have given his phone to police if it was him making the calls, as well as denying carrying out the Google searches.

Deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram found him guilty of all the charges after hearing what he said was "overwhelming" evidence against Vidler.

Mr Ikram said: "The nature of these calls included, effectively, death threats, but they had a common theme that (they) were all motivated by a desire to leave the European Union in very forthright and aggressive terms."

In reaching a guilty verdict, Mr Ikram said he was not analysing the voice on the calls, but took into account their timing, frequency, consistent message and Vidler's own views.

"You contacted members of Parliament and threatened them physically, you attempted to stifle their legitimate political views," he told the defendant.

Mr Ikram said the offences were committed "with the backdrop (of) a member of Parliament having previously been murdered" - an apparent reference to the 2016 murder of MP Jo Cox in 2016.

He said the impact on Vidler's victims would have been "profound", adding that the offences undermined "the free democratic society in which we live".

The trial heard that Vidler, who admitted having a "drink problem", had 18 previous convictions going back to 2002, including for causing criminal damage, being drunk and disorderly, and assaulting a police constable.