Brexit Party candidate said Dawn Butler deserved shooting

A former Brexit Party candidate who suggested a bullet to the head of Labour MP Dawn Butler would be ‘wholly deserved’ admitted his tweet was crass but ‘not menacing.’

Stephen Peddie, 61, was a prospective parliamentary candidate for the Kent constituency of Tonbridge and Malling in 2019 before quitting in protest of Nigel Farage’s election strategy.

His tweet was in response to a post by social commentator Toby Young alleging that the Brent Labour MP was using taxpayer’s money to fund a Jacuzzi in a north London property while claiming her main home was in east London.

On 2 February 2021, he wrote: ‘Egregious theft in a time of national emergency. Someone please explain to me why a bullet to the back of the head is anything but justified and wholly deserved.’

Ms Butler, the former Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities. said in an impact statement read to Westminster Magistrates’ Court: ‘My dear friend Jo Cox was so brutally shot and
stabbed multiple times for simply doing her job in her own constituency.

‘Every since this incident, people like Mr Peddie with a never-ending onslaught of hate cause me deep worry.

‘My home has been fitted with bars over the doors and cameras so that I may feel secure. I inform the police of my movements and no longer use public transport.

‘There are times when my family and friends urge me to leave this job for my safety but I won’t be cowed into submission and silence.

‘I have since found out that Mr Peddie does have guns and they were confiscated after his arrest.’

Last month Judge Briony Clarke convicted Peddie of sending a public communication of a menacing nature.

Peddie was sentenced to eight weeks jail, suspended for 12 months, and he was ordered to
perform 180 hours unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £200 compensation to Ms Butler, as well as £500 costs and a £128 surcharge.

Peddie, who is retired and said he spends most of his time driving his Range Rover, fishing and looking after his house in Edenbridge, Kent, maintains his innocence and said he wishes to appeal his conviction.

Speaking from the dock he said: ‘Can I just say that my genuine belief is that my tweet was crass but was not legally menacing.

‘For over two days it remained on Young’s Twitter page, seen by thousands of people. It remained uncommented on.

‘If my conviction is allowed to stand it would represent a serious threat to freedom of expression.

‘I could not have reasonably expected Dawn Butler to have seen my tweet on Young’s account and she didn’t. She was sent the tweet by a third party.’

Judge Clarke said she convicted him on the basis that ‘it may create fear and apprehension in any member of the public who reads it’.

‘You mentioned today that you intend to appeal,’ she said. ‘That’s entirely for you and it’s your right to do so.

‘Notwithstanding that I think you’ll appreciate that I have to sentence you today based upon the findings that I have made.’

Peddie, of Edenbridge, Kent, denied but was convicted Peddie of sending a public communication of a menacing nature.