Man who threatened to kill Ed Miliband jailed

A man who threatened to kill former Labour leader Ed Miliband has been jailed for three years.

Michael Donaldson, 56, shouted at Mr Miliband during a constituency visit in Bentley, Doncaster, in March.

Doncaster North MP Mr Miliband and his staff barricaded themselves inside a building after Donaldson said he would attack the politician with a knife.

Sentencing him at Sheffield Crown Court, the judge said it was an "exceptionally serious crime" and was an attack on democracy.

Donaldson had previously admitted a charge of making threats to kill.

The court heard Donaldson had drunk 1.5 litres of vodka before the encounter on the afternoon of 22 March.

CCTV played to the court showed Mr Miliband walking in the street with Donaldson crossing the road, gesticulating with his hands.

The threats were followed by him saying "I'm going to do it now" before reaching into his pocket, said prosecuting barrister Ashleigh Metcalfe.

Mr Miliband, who was visiting a local charity, felt "instantly vulnerable" with him running towards the building he was due to visit.

Once inside, the doors were locked with the defendant seen through the glass outside.

It was the first time Mr Miliband had been threatened in such a way, the court heard.

The sentencing heard Donaldson also mentioned the use of a "body bag" while he was being checked into a police custody suite.

Donaldson, who is a constituent of Mr Miliband, maintained his comments were "only a joke".

His defence barrister Dermot Hughes said "he is a drunk" and was not somebody who would have carried out the threat.

The Recorder of Sheffield Judge Jeremy Richardson KC noted Donaldson did not have a weapon, but said that, following the murders of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, threatening to kill a member of Parliament was "an exceptionally serious crime".

"It most certainly was not a joke", Judge Richardson said, adding "it is a form of attack on parliamentary democracy in this country".

Donaldson, of Askern Road, Bentley, was also given an eight-year restraining order against Mr Miliband, except for agreed appointments made seven days in advance to allow for security measures to be put in place.

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