Man jailed for sending racist and misogynistic messages to MP

A man has been jailed for harassing and sending racist and misogynistic messages to his MP.

Hasmukh Doshi was handed a 28-month prison sentence for sending racist and misogynistic remarks to Claudia Webbe, MP for Leicester East, between March and November 2021, Leicester Crown Court confirmed.

The 72-year-old was also ordered not to contact Ms Webbe for three years after being convicted of four counts of sending by public communication network an offensive message, and three of racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment, the court said.

In a written statement, Ms Webbe said: “This has had a profound impact on me. I was deeply hurt. It was painful to be targeted with such racist and misogynistic abuse.

“It caused me to question my job, that no matter how much I helped and regardless of the success of some of the outcomes achieved, it was never enough, I would still be the target of hate and regarded as inferior.

“The racism and misogyny were to belittle and demean me, to cause me hurt. I was absolutely devastated.”

Ms Webbe said she first met Doshi, of Shanti Margh, Leicester, at a constituency surgery in 2020.

She said such abuse was something MPs have to contend with regularly and that, as well as having an impact on MPs themselves, the “horrendous, repeated daily abuse” also has an indirect effect on their staff, family and friends.

Ms Webbe represents her Leicester East constituency as an independent after being suspended from the Labour Party because of her conviction for harassing a love rival. She has appealed against the suspension.