Man who threatened to kill Doncaster MP jailed

A person who threatened to kill former Labour chief Ed Miliband has been jailed for 3 years.

Michael Donaldson, 56, shouted at Mr Miliband throughout a constituency go to in Bentley, Doncaster, in March.

Doncaster North MP Mr Miliband and his employees barricaded themselves inside a constructing after Donaldson mentioned he would assault the politician with a knife.

Sentencing him at Sheffield Crown Court, the choose mentioned it was an “exceptionally critical crime” and was an assault on democracy.

Donaldson had beforehand admitted a cost of creating threats to kill.

The courtroom heard Donaldson had drunk 1.5 litres of vodka earlier than the encounter on the afternoon of twenty-two March.

CCTV performed to the courtroom confirmed Mr Miliband strolling on the street with Donaldson crossing the highway, gesticulating along with his arms.

The threats had been adopted by him saying “I’m going to do it now” earlier than reaching into his pocket, mentioned prosecuting barrister Ashleigh Metcalfe.

Mr Miliband, who was visiting an area charity, felt “immediately susceptible” with him working in the direction of the constructing he was as a consequence of go to.

Once inside, the doorways had been locked with the defendant seen by way of the glass exterior.

It was the primary time Mr Miliband had been threatened in such a approach, the courtroom heard.

The sentencing heard Donaldson additionally talked about using a “physique bag” whereas he was being checked right into a police custody suite.

Donaldson, who’s a constituent of Mr Miliband, maintained his feedback had been “solely a joke”.

His defence barrister Dermot Hughes mentioned “he’s a drunk” and was not someone who would have carried out the risk.

The Recorder of Sheffield Judge Jeremy Richardson KC famous Donaldson didn’t have a weapon, however mentioned that, following the murders of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, threatening to kill a member of Parliament was “an exceptionally critical crime”.

“It most actually was not a joke”, Judge Richardson mentioned, including “it’s a type of assault on parliamentary democracy on this nation”.

Donaldson, of Askern Road, Bentley, was additionally given an eight-year restraining order in opposition to Mr Miliband, apart from agreed appointments made seven days upfront to permit for safety measures to be put in place.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, meet up with the most recent episode of Look North or inform us a narrative you suppose we ought to be masking right here.