Woman who sent Angela Rayner death threats banned from contacting her

A woman who sent former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner abusive messages and threatened to kill her son has been banned from contacting the politician.

Elizabeth Harker, 63, sent abusive voicemails to Rayner’s constituency office on September 5, the day she resigned from the Cabinet.

In an unrelated incident, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard Harker also posted a handwritten note to a woman called Dorris Fortune, which was filled with slurs and comments such as ‘drop dead scrounger’.

On Tuesday, District Judge Briony Clarke told Harker that her actions had ‘a significant impact on the two victims’.

The court heard defendant left four voicemails to a hotline at Rayner’s office, ‘all of which were abusive’.

The court heard they called Rayner a ‘filthy whore’, a ‘slag’, ‘you don’t know what is coming to you’, and there were further threats to kill her and her son.

The calls were from a mobile phone that was registered to Harker’s home address.

Harker was also caught on a Ring security doorbell posting the offensive letter to the Luton home of Dorris Fortune on November 2.

In her victim impact statement, Ms Fortune, who does not understand why the note was sent, said, ‘whoever received this would be very distressed as it is a very offensive note’.

She said the message is at the back of her mind and makes her feel ‘anxious at home, even when I have the dog with me’.

Ms Rayner resigned as deputy prime minister and housing secretary in September after it emerged she did not pay enough stamp duty on an £800,000 flat in Hove.

The judge told Harker: ‘Ms Rayner is a Member of Parliament, working in a public-facing role. It is also aggravated by the fact that you were drunk at the time.’

Harker, of Luton, Bedfordshire, previously pleaded guilty to sending a communication that was ‘grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character’ in the form of four voicemails that targeted Ms Rayner.

Ms Rayner described her behaviour as ‘unacceptable’ and felt ‘distressed and alarmed’ by the threats, which the judge called ‘serious offences’.

Sentencing Harker, Judge Briony Clarke told her: ‘It is quite remarkable that at 63 years of age and with no previous convictions you have behaved in this way and find yourself before the court.

‘The messages, the call, the letter – all completely unprovoked, deeply unpleasant and no doubt did have an impact on the victims.’

Harker was handed an 18-month community order, including a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

She was also ordered to carry out a 12-month alcohol treatment requirement to help deal with the ‘root cause’ of her behaviour, the judge said, and to pay out 200 hours of unpaid work.

Harker was also given two five-year restraining orders, which ban her from contacting both Ms Rayner and Ms Fortune directly or indirectly.

Harker has expressed remorse for her actions, been to Alcoholics Anonymous and gone to her GP for help as she tries to deal with her long-term history, the court heard.

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