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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Luke Traynor

Pensioner named after 'offensive message' is sent to Labour MP Dawn Butler

A 70-year-old man from Warrington will appear in court later this month accused of sending an offensive message to the Labour MP Dawn Butler.

Last summer, the politician for Brent Central was forced to close her constituency office after escalating racist threats towards her and her staff since she spoke out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

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Stephen Brotherton, from Warrington, was arrested and later charged under S127 of the Communications Act 2003.

He faces a count of sending by means of an electronic network, a message that is grossly offensive, or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character on 7 June 2020.

He will appear before magistrates in Warrington later this month.

The CPS authorised the charges following a review of a file of evidence from Cheshire Police.

Previously Dawn Butler has sent a letter to constituents which said: "My staff have been attacked in the office, verbally assaulted coming and going from work, bricks have been thrown through the windows and the frontage has been smashed.

“I have had to work extensively with police and security staff to simply try and create a safe working environment for my employees.

"Many of these incidents were not made public in order to not encourage copycat attacks.”

Last year, Ms Butler accused the Metropolitan Police of racially profiling her when describing how officers stopped her "black male friend" who was driving a "nice car" and questioned her while she was in the passenger seat.

She recorded the incident in Hackney, in which officers are heard saying they were searching the area because of "gang and knife crime".

In June, last year, Ms Butler told of receiving dozens of aggressive emails after she dismissed criticism about 137,500 anti-racism activists descending on UK cities during lockdown.

She wrote how criticising the huge crowds for breaching the ban on mass gatherings and failing to socially distance was a cynical ploy to call the protests off.

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