Corbyn supporter who sent Labour MPs anti-Semitic emails faces jail
Jeremy Corbyn supporter, 31, is facing jail after bombarding three Labour MPs with anti-Semitic abuse calling them ‘c****’, ‘racist Zionist scum’ and wishing they would ‘die’ in series of threatening phone calls
- Dame Margaret Hodge, Dame Louise Ellman and Lord John Mann were targeted
- Nelson has pleaded guilty to three counts of sending offensive communications
- Westminster Magistrates’ Court today heard of ‘disturbing’ rants by serial troll
A Jeremy Corbyn loyalist has been told he faces jail after besieging three Labour MPs with anti-Semitic abuse in a series of threatening phone calls and emails.
Nicolas Nelson, 31, targeted Dame Margaret Hodge, Dame Louise Ellman and Lord John Mann, who he called ‘c****’ and said should leave the party and die.
A chief magistrate today said Nelson could be put behind bars after last month pleading guilty to three counts of sending communications of an offensive nature.
Dames Margaret and Louise are Jewish and were openly critical of Mr Corbyn for allowing anti-Semitism to breed in Labour’s ranks, as was Lord Mann.
Barking MP Dame Margaret said the verbal attacks left her feeling ‘disturbed’ and ‘under threat because of my Jewish identity’.
Nigel Nelson, 31 has been told he faces jail after blitzing three Labour MPs with anti-Semitic abuse in a series of threatening phone calls and emails (pictured at Westminster Magistrate’s Court today)
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard of the rants the serial troll, of North Walsham, Norfolk, spewed at the MPs’ parliamentary staffers in 2018.
Prosecutor Simon Maugham recounted how on July 18, 2018, Nelson screamed down the phone at Labour grandee Dame Margaret’s assistant.
He said: ‘Margaret should f*** off, you f***ing racist Zionist c***. You need to get out of the party and I hope you die, you Tory c***.’
Mr Maughan said that, in a further phone call the same day, Nelson added: ‘Margaret Hodge is an apartheid-supporting disgusting scumbag b****.’
The court heard that Dame Margaret was also told by her parliamentary staff about abusive emails that had been sent.
In her impact statement read by Mr Maughan ‘After reading them I felt disturbed and rather shocked at the vitriol expressed,’ she said in a statement read by the prosecutor.
‘I considered the emails to be threatening and was left feeling nervous and unsure about my safety. For the first time, I now feel under threat because of my Jewish identity.’
A judge today said Nelson could be put behind bars after last month pleading guilty to three counts of sending communications of an offensive nature
Dame Louise’s parliamentary assistant said she felt ‘extremely uncomfortable and distressed’ after reading an email sent by Nelson on August 2, 2018, the court heard.
It called the then Liverpool Riverside MP a ‘hypocritical Tory c*** who is so thick she is trying to smear Corbyn with an event she herself attended,’ adding that she should either ‘resign or ritual Japanese suicide’.
Dame Louise left Labour after 55 years in 2019, lashing out at Jeremy Corbyn for allowing anti-Semitism to become ‘mainstream’ within the party ranks.
Mr Maughan went on to describe an abusive phone call answered by a staffer to Lord Mann, then MP for Bassetlaw, on September 3, 2018.
Relaying her account, he said: ‘I answered a call at 10:02 the maker of the call started being abusive. I said sorry whose this?
‘He said it was Nicholas Nelson and that I was working for a f***ing idiot. He said I was a f***ing tart and that I should suck his d***.
In another voicemail Nelson yelled: ‘Do something useful kill yourself! When are you going to have a stroke? Get behind Corbyn or leave the party.’
Lord Mann said in a statement: ‘I call out racism and antisemitism, however the abuse which has arisen from my comments has led to staff asking me not to do so,’ said
Nelson was bailed ahead of sentencing on 25 November at Westminster Magistrates Court
Dames Margaret and Louise are Jewish and were openly critical of the Jeremy Corbyn for allowing anti-Semitism to breed in the Labour’s ranks, as was John Mann
‘As a member of parliament I’ve received threats over many years but none were like the ones I received from Mr Nelson.’
He said parliamentary staff suffered anxiety issues and became reluctant to answer the telephone in case it was Nelson.
Nelson was arrested on 12 September 2018 and barked at officer DC Morris ‘I will stop when they stop.’
The court heard that in 2018 Nelson was given a suspended sentence following similar abuse towards MPs Luciana Berger and Ruth Smeeth.
Julian Young, defending, told the court that at the time his client was dealing with ‘undiagnosed psychiatric’ issues.
‘This has been dealt with medication and treatment. Having this hanging over a defendant who is mentally ill for two years is, I submit, something of a punishment.’
Mr Young added: ‘The defendant has been giving me written instructions and tenders a full apology.’
Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot adjourned his sentence for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
‘All options are available, including committal to the crown court,’ she added.
Nelson pleaded guilty to three counts of sending communications of an offensive nature at Bristol Magistrate’s court last month, but the sentencing hearing was moved o London.
Nelson was bailed ahead of sentencing on 25 November at Westminster Magistrates Court.
