Two arrested over abusive email sent to Labour's Angela Rayner

2 years ago 20

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Two men have been arrested on suspicion of sending an abusive email to Labour Party deputy leader Angela Rayner.

The arrests are part of an investigation into threats sent to the Ashton-under-Lyne MP, Greater Manchester Police said.

A 65-year-old man from Surrey and a 37-year-old man from Kent are accused of malicious communications relating to an email sent on 2 May.

The force said both men had been released under investigation.

A total of eight people have been detained as part of the inquiry, leading to three convictions.

Ms Rayner said she "burst into tears" and was left "scared out of her wits" after being targeted by Stuart Kelly, who was jailed in April for leaving her abusive voicemails.

The court heard Kelly, 53, of Halifax, had linked Ms Rayner's comments at the Labour Party conference in September, when she called Boris Johnson "scum", to the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess.

Image caption,

Angela Rayner was criticised for branding Conservatives "scum"

Ms Rayner said the abuse had left her frightened to leave her house and had "completely changed" her as a person and caused her to question her job.

Another two men, Michael McGrath, 70, of Sheffield, and Benjamin Iliffe, 36, of Cambridgeshire were given suspended sentences after admitting sending her abusive emails.

Det Sgt Christopher Dean said: "We won't tolerate abuse, and that includes online abuse in its many forms - text, email or social media."

A spokeswoman for Ms Rayner said: "Abuse and threats of this nature are totally unacceptable and they don't just have an impact on Angela but also on her family, her children and her staff, who are on the receiving end of these communications."

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