Penrith furniture restorer told Workington's MP: 'I hope you all die'

Andrew Blundell, 54, left the messages – including one referring to axes which was regarded as a death threat – because he was annoyed that a Conservative Party leaflet was pushed through his letter box, magistrates heard.

The defendant admitted sending messages which aimed to cause anxiety or distress, an offence under the Malicious Communications Act.

At Carlisle’s Rickergate Magistrates’ Court, prosecutor George Shelley outlined the facts.

He described how Blundell, of Mill Terrace, Penrith, made the first call to Mr Jenkinson’s office just before 9pm on August 14, complaining about the leaflet that was put through his letter box.

He left “an abusive and threatening” voicemail message, said Mr Shelley.

Blundell made the second call just before 10pm, and this time referred to the axes he carried in his van for work. Immediately after saying this, he threatened violence to any person who tried to deliver another leaflet.

In an earlier hearing, the court heard that the defendant compared the leaflet which annoyed him to Adolf Hitler’s political manifesto Mein Kampf.

His recorded message also included the comment: “I hope you all die."

The case worker who first heard the voice messages was alarmed and feared for the safety of her colleagues, the court heard. The defendant was previously cautioned for a similar offence against his former wife.

Jeff Smith, defending, said Blundell was a man of “great creative ability”, who had suffered from poor mental health when he committed the offence.

One of his best friends had recently passed away and he had not been in a serious relationship since the breakdown of his marriage, which affected his mental health. “He’d been to work and wasn’t feeling too good and purchased a bottle of gin,” said Mr Smith.

“He consumed one quarter of the bottle of gin and was feeling annoyed.”  Mr Smith suggested that the defendant felt "frustrated" at not receiving a response from the MP to an earlier communication.

He had no recollection of leaving the messages but now felt “very remorseful and embarrassed” about what he did, including his own drunkenness and the tone of the messages he had left, said Mr Smith.

The lawyer added: “He had had a significant amount of alcohol…

“Had the MP responded to the enquiry he made he would perhaps not have felt so frustrated and lost his good character.  When he last appeared in court, the inference was that he was being compared to someone who was a threat to MPs.

“He restores furniture and old buildings and he’s a man of great creative abilities rather than presenting a threat to anybody or the public. When he has spare time, he visits churches and gives talks to the Women’s Institute.”

Having addressed his issues, Blundell was now doing rather well and was unlikely to be back before a court. He had sought help and was no longer drinking.

Having acquired a BA degree and an MA degree, Blundell had run his own business for 20 years.

Magistrates said the offence was aggravated by Blundell's use of alcohol and by the threat of violence towards a local MP.

“That is a threat to our democratic system and for that you could have received a custodial sentence,” said the presiding magistrate. But noting the mitigation, magistrates imposed an 18-month community order with 10 rehabilitation activity days.

Blundell must also complete 180 hours of unpaid work and pay £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.

After a previous hearing of the case, Mr Jenkinson said: “Serving as a Member of Parliament is great privilege and honour: it provides an opportunity to help people and make real and meaningful change in a community.

"This is what I have always strived to do – and it is why I got into politics in the first place.

“However, there is another side to a life of public service – and I am deeply concerned that ugly incidents like this will discourage others with something positive to contribute from putting themselves forward to make a difference.

“I am pleased to say that things like this are fortunately very rare and those who think this behaviour is acceptable are very definitely in a minority.

"There is a clear line between robust criticism of those in public life, and something more sinister. I believe that all those who chose to serve their community should be able to do so without being threatened.”

The MP said added that he was disappointed that there was no fact checking of the defence lawyer's claim that Mr Jenkinson had failed to respond to an enquiry.  There was no record of Blundell ever contacting his office.

Parliamentary protocol dictates that he would in any case have had to direct Blundell - who lives in the Penrith and the Border constituency - to his local MP.