A man has been found guilty of stalking former education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson.
The Conservative MP said he felt “incredibly threatened” by Simon Parry who “persistently followed” him in separate incidents on 24 May and 14 June.
Parry, 45, of no fixed abode, was convicted of one count of stalking following a one-day trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
Simon Parry was convicted of one count of stalking but cleared of impersonating a police officer— (PA)
He had denied a separate charge of impersonating a police officer, by flashing what Sir Gavin said appeared to be a warrant card and making comments about arresting him on the June date.
District judge Tan Ikram found there was no case to answer in that matter because the evidence was “so poor”.
Parry had “persistently followed” the MP outside Westminster in May, an encounter that left Sir Gavin feeling intimidated, the trial heard.
“Someone was engaging me in conversation as I walked towards the Palace of Westminster,” Sir Gavin told the court. “It was apparent the main issue was to do with the vaccination programme, why this was wrong and what had been done to children as a result of people taking vaccinations.
“It felt very unpleasant. As an MP you get a lot of people approaching you all the time but that is done in a different manner to that.”
During the second incident in June, Sir Gavin was filmed as he talked to a constituent on the phone, who had just had her dog put down.
In footage played to court, Parry was seen walking behind Sir Gavin before saying: “MPs are on borrowed time it won’t be safe for them to walk the streets soon.”
Parry attended court with Piers Corbyn (R) at City Of London Magistrates' Court— (PA)
He was heard comparing the vaccination programme to a “genocide on our own people”.
Referring to the second encounter, Sir Gavin said: “I was increasingly worried it was not normal behaviour for someone to persistently follow you in this way. That combined with extreme views that were mentioned and accusations being thrown around.
“You start to worry about the behaviour, the stability of the individual and what he might do. You start to become quite fearful.”
Taking to the stand, Parry admitted discreetly recording Sir Gavin by pretending to be talking on the phone.
“I have people film me all the time and I don’t go straight to the police I take it on the chin,” he said in his defence. “I stepped back to reassure him there was no threat of violence. I’m a pacifist, I’m not a violent person.
“I don’t believe I wanted to make him intimidated. A lot of what I do is humorous some people were in hysterics at that video but people like you [pointing at the prosecution] probably not.”
The judge, however, disagreed and found Parry guilty of stalking.
“I am satisfied that those two occasions taken collectively amount to harassment of Sir Gavin,” the judge said. “The defendant thinks there is humour in relation to what he does. He uploads it onto social media. Objectively he ought to have known the course of conduct amounted to harassment. I am sure of that.”
Parry, who appeared at court with Piers Corbyn, the brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, will be sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 16 November.
