"Based Amy" Vs Soubry: The Day after the Verdict
On Wednesday at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Based Amy was found guilty of harassing Anna Soubry and banned from entering Broxtowe, the Constituency in which she is standing as a Candidate for The English Democrats in the upcoming General Election.
Amy pleaded not guilty to three counts of harassment.
Passing verdict, Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot said she “knew that she had done something wrong and thought that she had got away with it”. (What was this comment based upon)?
She described Amy’s behaviour as “oppressive and unacceptable”, the magistrate said her conduct was “driven by anger at Ms Soubry’s political views on Brexit” and that she had “caused harassment in the sense of alarm and distress”.
Emma Arbuthnot, the Magistrate in the case, is married to Baron James Arbuthnot who is a Conservative member of the House of Lords and has numerous defence related jobs. She has been criticised for failing to recuse herself in the Julian Assange case due to a potential conflict of interest with her husbands work. She has also faced accusations of bringing political opinions into Court judgments.
Ms Arbuthnot added “she can conduct her campaign from elsewhere, but I am not having her there. It is too risky.
“I am not locking her up today, she can do it from home, by email. There is simply no reason for her to be there.”
She later said: “I have not decided at all what I am going to do with you. I have not excluded prison”. (Does this mean the decision of 1 civil servant can remove our liberty and freedom)?.
Police to deal with harassment ‘robustly’
Following the case, police said they would deal “robustly” with harassment and abuse of candidates during the General Election campaign.
Detectives from the Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team (PLAIT) – a national unit established by the Met Police following the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox – had probed the actions of Amy Dalla Mura.
Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, a warrant for Dalla Mura’s arrest was issued and she handed herself in to a central London police station on September 6. She was subsequently charged.
“Abuse or intimidation of MPs, or candidates during elections has serious implications for individuals and for our democracy.
“Strong political opinions are no excuse for abuse, harassment or intimidation of members of the public or parliamentarians. Police will treat such allegations seriously and seek to bring offenders to justice – as today’s conviction demonstrates.”
It is an outrage that in this day and age, a courtroom judge can ban a political candidate from the constituency in which they are standing as a prospective MP – how can this be right?
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