Man sentenced for leaving MP Naz Shah an offensive voicemail
Man sentenced for leaving MP Naz Shah an offensive voicemail
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A man who left an abusive voice message for MP Naz Shah has been given a suspended prison sentence, prosecutors have said. Thomas Mearing, 26, pleaded guilty to a public communications offence at Taunton Magistrates’ Court relating to a voicemail left for the Bradford West Labour MP on November 19 2023. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Mearing was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months, as well as a five-year restraining order that bans him from contacting Ms Shah or attending her office.
It described how Mearing left a voicemail accusing the MP of supporting Hamas, as well as making other “derogatory comments”. Mearing had phoned Ms Shah’s constituency office at the weekend where the call went straight to voicemail. It was picked up by a member of her staff the following Monday, the CPS said. The voicemail was reported to West Yorkshire Police, with officers tracing it back to Mearing who lived in Yeovil, Somerset.
In a police interview, Mearing accepted leaving the voicemail but insisted it was not intended to cause alarm or distress. He later pleaded guilty to sending an offensive communication. Alex Herowych, senior district crown prosecutor for the South West, said: “Mearing’s voicemail message was highly offensive and insulting to Ms Shah, and his comments have no place in a civilised society. “There is a world of a difference between robust criticism – which elected representatives should expect – and hateful abuse, which neither Ms Shah nor her constituency staff should be subjected to.
