A pensioner who sent a 'repugnant' and obscene email to Angela Rayner MP, calling her an 'ugly menopausal pig' among other offensive words, has been slapped with a hefty fine.

David Perry of Eyston Drive, Weybridge, Surrey, pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrate's Court in October this year for sending malicious communications to the Ashton-under-Lyne and Failsworth MP, Angela Rayner.

In May, the Shadow Deputy Prime Minister received an email where Perry made crude and offensive references to to her appearance and accused her of being a "puppet of the industrial military complex".

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He also referenced a Mail on Sunday article which suggested Ms Rayner had crossed and uncrossed her legs to distract Boris Johnson during Prime Minister’s Questions.

Perry wrote: "Please get off the news channels and go get a job in a fish factory."

The email also stated: "Do you really think anybody would be interested in an ugly menopausal pig like you?

"With your sad old m***e, which you could throw a kipper up, typical career politician, useless, no experience, no qualification."

In a victim personal statement, Ms Rayner said she was "appalled at the level of repugnant malice" directed towards her.

She also questioned why anyone would think it was acceptable to send such offensive words to a woman.

The 66-year-old was discovered to be behind the "vile and abusive" email when Greater Manchester Police launched an investigation.

Perry was arrested in July 2022 and in a police interview, he accepted that the email address was his but denied sending the email.

He claimed he had been hacked.

However, he was unable to produce any evidence to support his claims that his Wi-Fi or IT systems had been hacked by a third party.

The prosecution came after Ms Rayner requested a victim’s right to review (VRR) after an initial decision was made not to prosecute the pensioner.

After pleading guilty earlier this year, he was sentenced on Thursday (December 28) where he was fined £700 and ordered to pay £300 in costs at Staines Magistrates' Court.

Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, described Perry's email as "completely unacceptable".

She said: “Perry’s email was highly offensive and insulting to Ms Rayner, and his comments have no place in a civilised society.

“Neither she nor her constituency staff should have to be subjected to such vitriol – it is completely unacceptable.

“The public should know that they cannot simply send such grossly offensive communications without repercussions.

"Online communications can be traced and people breaking the law will be brought to justice."

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