Nigel Farage turns up at court to watch milkshake chucker plead guilty
A woman has pleaded guilty to throwing a milkshake over Nigel Farage.
Victoria Thomas Bowen has pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to assault by beating and criminal damage.
She threw a milkshake over the Reform UK leader outside a pub in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, during the general election campaign on June 4.
Farage was doused in the McDonald’s milkshake as he left the Moon and Starfish Wetherspoon pub in the Essex seaside town.
He had earlier held a rally in the area as part of his campaign to become the town’s MP.
Thomas Bowen, 25, also admitted criminal damage after causing £17.50 worth of damage to a jacket belonging to Mr Farage’s security officer James Woolfenden.
She had originally denied the charges and was due to go on trial this morning, but she changed her please to guilty just before proceedings started.
Farage was also in court this morning, and was pictured entering the building at the same time as Thomas Bowen.
In a statement read out in court, Farage said he had not been injured but ‘this incident caused me concern as I have only been going about my job’, adding that he was ‘saddened this has happened at a public campaign’.
Thomas Bowen was arrested shortly after the incident and told police in interview that she saw a post online advertising Farage’s attendance that day.
She told officers she ‘does not agree with his political views’, adding she was outside the pub when she saw him leaving and decided to act because she ‘had the opportunity’.
Giving details from her police interview, prosecutor Nishma Shahsaid: ‘She acknowledges that this was an assault and that the liquid would have gone over the jackets of him and others and caused them to get cleaning, but she states that Nigel would be able to afford this.
‘She states she did not regret her actions.’
Thomas Bowen told police she did not intend the cup to hit Farage.
When questioned on why she changed her plea on the day of trial, Andrew Price, defending, told the judge: ‘This case has had a tremendous impact on this defendant.
‘There have been a number of threats made against this defendant and she as much as possible wanted to put it out of her mind and avoid making the decision that she ultimately has come to.’
Deputy senior district judge Tan Ikram adjourned sentencing to December 16 and told the defendant: ‘You have pleaded guilty to, in my judgment, two serious charges.
‘This was an unprovoked, targeted attack now on an elected member of parliament.
‘I take a serious view of these offences. I am seeking a pre-sentence report which will consider all options for sentence.’
Thomas Bowen was granted unconditional bail ahead of her sentencing.
She did not have to read her address out publicly in court after a successful application from her solicitor, saying ‘very severe threats have been made’ concerning the case.
Farage was famously hit by a milkshake while campaigning in Newcastle in 2019.
Paul Crowther was ordered to pay his suit-cleaning bill after pleading guilty to common assault and causing criminal damage.
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