Bishop Auckland man jailed for threats to murder MP Sam Rushworth
A man who made repeated "vile" threats to murder his MP has been jailed for one and a half years.Benjamin Clarke, 31, bombarded Sam Rushworth with abuse online before threatening to burn the Bishop Auckland MP's house down with the Labour politician inside, Teesside Crown Court heard.Mr Rushworth said he initially wanted his tormentor to get help for his obvious mental health issues but, fearing Clarke's ongoing "hatred" and the recent killings of other MPs, had had to boost his and his family's security.Having been deemed "dangerous", Clarke, who admitted making threats to kill and sending offensive communications, will also have to serve a further 18 months on extended licence.
Clarke first contacted Mr Rushworth, who had been elected in the 2024 general election, on Facebook in the aftermath of the riots following the murder of three girls in Southport, prosecutor Susan Hurst said.Starting on 1 August, Clarke sent direct messages to the MP calling him abusive terms and blaming Mr Rushworth and the government for the violence, the court heard.
Clarke, of Durham Street in Bishop Auckland, escalated to threats, telling Mr Rushworth: "I can't wait until your next public appearance, you'll be lucky to leave in one piece."The MP reported the threat to Durham Police but asked officers to visit Clarke and give him a warning rather than prosecute him, the court heard.But the abusive comments about Mr Rushworth did not stop and on 17 September, Clarke told a social worker he would "smash [the MP's] head off the pavement until he dies," adding he would firebomb Mr Rushworth's office or home and block the doors so he could stand outside and hear his victim's screams, the court heard.Asked if he actually meant to carry out the threats, Clarke said he was "going to do it and it's just a matter of time", the court heard.
The social worker reported the comments to police and Clarke was arrested, telling officers he had received no support for his mental health issues and it was the "political landscape where he lives which was causing him concern", Ms Hurst said.Clarke told police he had no political allegiances but had a "personal grievance" against Mr Rushworth, before adding he had not intended to cause any harm and his comments were because he was "desperate for help".Having been released on bail, on 27 February Clarke called emergency services to report he was having thoughts of suicide and self-harm, Ms Hurst said.As paramedics tried to help him, Clarke told them Mr Rushworth had "ruined his life", said he "could kill" the MP and mentioned burning down his home.Clarke said he would harm Mr Rushworth's wife as well and showed "considerable knowledge" about the MP's home life, Ms Hurst said. In his ongoing "diatribe", Clarke said if he was sent to prison he would kill the MP and then himself, the court heard.The comments were reported to police and Clarke was arrested again, making no comment in his interviews.
In a statement read to the court, Mr Rushworth said he did not know whether Clarke was "capable" of following through on the threats but it was apparent he had a "strong and irrational hatred" for the MP.Mr Rushworth said he bore "no ill will" towards Clarke, adding: "I have tried at every step to balance the needs for security with compassion for a man I deem to be mentally unwell."But, Mr Rushworth added, Clarke had seemed to "double down" on his hatred and it had become "increasingly clear" he "had a fixation to kill me for reasons only he knows".He said he had had to boost security at his home and his wife and children had been majorly affected by the threats.Mr Rushworth said he liked to be open and accessible to people, regularly holding meetings with constituents and attending events, but, in light of the murders of MPs such as Jo Cox and David Amess, he had to have have security guards with him.
'Democracy would be eroded'
Mr Justice Cotter said Clarke's "vitriolic" messages and threats were "vile", with Clarke "obsessed with killing" Mr Rushworth causing the MP and his family "very serious harm".The judge condemned people online who had "approved" Clarke's criminality and made "highly inappropriate comments" on his hate-filled Facebook posts about the MP.Mr Justice Cotter said legitimate criticism of politicians was an important part of society but "no MP should ever face personal threats, harassment or intimidation", adding the "democracy of this country would be eroded" if people felt unable to work in the "vital public roles".The judge said Clarke was "dangerous" and had "entrenched views" in which he blamed others for his own problems and the country's issues, which he "viewed through a racist lens".A restraining order banning Clarke from contacting the MP or his family, or making any reference to them on social media, was made to last indefinitely.Should Clarke need to contact an MP in future, he would have to clear it with the court first, the judge said.
Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
24 minutes ago
- Times
‘Violent monster' on day release after serving one year in jail
A 'violent monster' whose former partner died after he subjected her to mental and physical abuse has been allowed out of prison one year after being sentenced. Andrew Brown, 33, who was sentenced to four years in prison last year for his behaviour against Demi Hannaway, has been let out of jail unescorted on 'day release', it has emerged. Hannaway died in May 2021, aged 23, and it was ruled that she had taken her own life. However, his abusive behaviour came to light afterwards and Hannaway's family believe that Brown should have been charged with killing her. Dorothy Bain KC, the lord advocate, ordered a fresh investigation into her death after a meeting with her relatives in February.
The Sun
38 minutes ago
- The Sun
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch to call for windfall taxes on oil and gas firms to be scrapped to avoid ‘killing' the industry
TORY leader Kemi Badenoch due to call for windfall taxes on oil and gas firms to be scrapped to avoid 'killing' the industry. She was also set to demand fresh drilling licences in the North Sea in a blast against Energy Secretary Ed Miliband's decision to ban them in the name of Net Zero. The Energy Profits Levy was first introduced by the Conservatives to tax companies revelling in record revenues while families struggled with soaring bills. At the last Budget Rachel Reeves increased the tax by three points to 38 per cent of profits for the next five years. But Ms Badenoch will today warn these massive profits have 'long gone' and the longer the tax remains 'the more damaging it becomes'. She will tell the Scottish Tory conference: 'Labour have extended and increased this tax. They are killing this industry. 'And frankly if it is allowed to remain in place until 2030, as is Labour's current plan, there will be no industry left to tax. 'Thousands will have been made unemployed and all while we import more gas from overseas – from the very same basin in which we are banned from drilling.' Mr Miliband is pledging £500million to invest in hydrogen, claiming it will create thousands of jobs in the transition to 'clean energy'. He says it will cushion the blow from sectors like iron, steel, glass, chemicals and ceramics whose factories are exposed to higher energy costs. The Energy Secretary said: 'By building hydrogen networks, we are securing homegrown energy that will power British industry for generations to come.' Kemi Badenoch pleads for Tories to give her more time just like Margaret Thatcher was given 2
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Dad, 25, played on phone as he was quizzed over death of baby girl from ‘violent shaking,' murder trial hears
A FATHER played on his phone in a "good mood" while being quizzed by cops over the death of his baby daughter, a court heard. Thomas Holford, 24, is accused of shaking his baby girl to death. 2 2 The five-week-old baby was rushed to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital after the ordeal at her home in Ramsgate, Kent. Everleigh Stroud remained there in a vegetative state until she died over a year later in 2022 - aged 14 months. Her dad had been living with her 16-year-old mum at time and pleaded guilty to manslaughter in November last year. He denies murder and causing actual bodily harm. Everleigh's injuries, which ultimately led to her death in hospital on May 27, 2022, included catastrophic brain haemorrhages and multiple bone fractures. Jurors heard that while it is accepted by Holford that he inflicted them, he disputes the prosecution case that he intended to kill Everleigh - or cause her really serious harm. Holford also denies a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm. Canterbury Crown Court heard that mum Casey Stroud had left Everleigh in Holford's care while she went to stay with a friend on the night of April 20 to celebrate her birthday. When she returned, on the morning of her 17th birthday, she found her daughter grey in colour with marks on her face. While Everleigh was rushed to hospital, Holford was questioned by police in the family living room. But jurors heard that he was "very relaxed" and in "quite a good mood" while detailing the events of the previous night. He repeatedly used his phone, and at one point in a conversation, the first-time dad asked a sergeant to pick a game for him to download from his app store. PC Darren Smith, who recorded his interactions with Holford on his body-worn camera, told the court: "When he entered the room he seemed to be in quite a good mood. "He didn't seem to be showing any emotion. He was quite easily conversing with me." The court heard - and watched the footage - of Holford describing having fed Everleigh two or three times during the night and settling her to sleep. Holford said he recalled hearing her "whimper", but thought she was just dreaming. The dad said he didn't see any bruises on his daughter until a "very upset" Casey had woken him. He also referred to his low mood and an upcoming appointment with the community mental health team. Asked by prosecutor Eloise Marshall if the defendant's demeanour had changed during their conversation, PC Smith replied: "Not to any drastic amount." Ms Marshall then asked: "What was he actually doing while you were talking to him?" The officer responded: "Mainly playing on his mobile phone." In much of the footage, Holford could be seen holding the device between his hands. At one stage, Holford recalled how he feared he had swaddled Everleigh "quite tightly" when she whimpered. He then told PC Smith: "It's weird. Before I had a kid, I just thought 'kids are just kids'. "Then, you have a kid and it's like, 'Woah, step back'. It puts everything into perspective, doesn't it? "Before, I didn't feel like I had a purpose. I wasn't working. But now I feel everything has just fallen into place." Holford also revealed that he had smoked cannabis at around 10am the previous day, and would use it daily in the morning for a stomach issue. A small amount of herbal cannabis, along with a grinder, was found in the "untidy and crammed" bedroom he had shared with Casey and Everleigh. Holford was arrested and taken to Margate Police Station. PC Smith told the jury he heard the defendant "speaking freely" of how he was often told by his girlfriend on waking that he had been "verbally aggressive" towards her - but had no knowledge of doing so. Sgt Benjamin Patterson also gave evidence about his interactions with Holford, who he described as being "very interested in his phone, very relaxed and distant". During cross-examination, Holford's barrister, Jo Martin KC, suggested the dad's presentation could have been "a delayed reaction", which PC Smith agreed could be the case. However, when she suggested Holford had been talking "randomly" while in the custody cell, PC Smith replied: "He was calm the whole time I was with him. I couldn't work out his mindset at all. "Over the whole day, he was on a level. I don't remember seeing any emotion - something that seemed strange considering what had happened." Jurors also heard that in visits to the family home by health workers on March 30 and April 6, Casey said Holford was doing most of the night feeds so she could rest. It was also noted that he "really helped out" and was happy to do so. The trial continues.
