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Former Conservative MP Anna Soubry Victoria Jones/PA Archive/PA Images
Harassment
Protesters who called British MP Anna Soubry a 'Nazi' given suspended sentences
James Goddard and Brian Phillips pleaded guilty to harassing Soubry.
TWO PROTESTERS WHO called British MP Anna Soubry a Nazi, a traitor and a fascist have been sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today.
The former Conservative MP was heckled by pro-Brexit protestors as she conducted a number of interviews at the Palace of Westminster, stopping to address them as she spoke with both BBC and Sky News on 7 January.
During her interview with BBC, Soubry was forced to pause mid-sentence after a number of protesters chanted “Soubry is a Nazi”. She told interviewer Simon McCoy “I do object to being called a Nazi, actually”.
Similar chants were also directed at Soubry as she carried out a live interview on Sky News.
James Goddard, 30, and Brian Phillips, 55, previously accepted that they spoke to the Nottinghamshire MP as she walked to and from the Houses of Parliament on 7 January but claimed that their behaviour had been reasonable.
At their trial on Friday 19 July, they changed their pleas to guilty and admitted causing her alarm or distress.
Goddard also admitted a second offence of racially abusing a police officer who he swore at and said was “not even British” because he spoke English with an accent.
The Crown Prosecution Service told Westminster Magistrates’ Court that Goddard and Phillips had been part of a group which had shouted abuse and chanted at Soubry as she was being interviewed.
After the interview, the group followed her and her assistant along the street, surrounded her and verbally abused her with Goddard filming her on his phone.
They followed Soubry to an entrance to the Houses of Parliament where with the assistance of police she was able to enter the building as the group jeered. She later said the behaviour of the group left her feeling intimidated, shaken and harassed.
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On the same day, Goddard shouted at police and told them he would give them a “war” and that they were “fair game”.
He also verbally abused one police officer, calling him a “nonce” and telling him he was “not even British”. The officer later said he found Goddard’s behaviour “abhorrent”.
Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for London South, Lynette Woodrow, said Goddard and Phillips had crossed the line between legitimate protest and causing outright alarm and distress.
“They were not interested in a debate but set out to intimidate, antagonise and bully Anna Soubry,” Woodrow said.
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