‘It’s taken out of context,’ says inventor

An inventor accused of sending a threatening message to a female Tory MP with an ‘anecdote’ about the killing of a councillor has accused her of conspiring against him with police.

Ian Howgate, 57, allegedly sent an email to Newbury MP Laura Farris which ended: ‘Rather than putting them [your staff] in harm’s way for your sake they will throw you to the lions. Rest in peace Andrew Pennington’.

Mr Pennington, 39, had died while trying to protect Lib Dem MP Nigel Jones – now a peer – in his constituency office in Cheltenham in January 2000.

Robert Ashman later admitted manslaughter and was convicted of attempting to murder Lord Jones but was released after just eight years in a secure hospital.

Howgate, who will represent himself at the trial, attended Westminster Magistrates’ Court in a navy suit with his wife, who wore a blue jacket, jeans and face-mask with silver shoes.

He told Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram: ‘Ms Farris has misinterpreted my email completely and seems to think it’s an email about a man being killed by a man with mental health difficulties when it’s not.

‘It’s an email about a man being saved heroically by a friend of mine.

‘It smells of a conspiracy between the police and Laura Farris’ office.’

Howgate, who was granted a patent for an enlarged hockey stick in 2003, also denied one count of contempt of court at the hearing.

He is accused of sharing prosecution material with investigative sports journalist and author Brian Radford, according to court documents.

Lisa Goddard, for the CPS, said ‘the actual giving of material is accepted by Mr Howgate’ but the defendant countered ‘I haven’t done anything that warrants being in contempt’.

The judge asked if Mr Radford would be attending the contempt trial in person, but Howgate replied: ‘He is 84 and he has not received a vaccine. I have tried to persuade him to have the vaccine but he does not want to do that.’

In a hearing last December, Howgate told the court: ‘I’ve been painted as a psychopathic stalker waiting behind the corner with a Samurai sword waiting to attack somebody.

‘I may have, perhaps I could have worded it better, but it’s taken completely out of context.

‘I’m not a threat to anybody and I don’t even own a Samurai sword.’

Howgate, of Leys Gardens, Newbury, denies one count of sending menacing messages and one count of contempt of court.

He was granted bail on condition he does not contact Ms Farris or any member of her staff and does not enter the Newbury Conservative party constituency office, ahead of his trial on 26 April.

He will face a seperate trial for contempt on 25 August.
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