Man who scared Paula Sherriff's staff given jail warning

A man who frightened staff in an MP's constituency office three months before the death of her colleague Jo Cox has been warned he will be jailed if he ever repeats his aggressive behaviour.
MP Paula Sherriff.MP Paula Sherriff.
MP Paula Sherriff.

Jaseem Saeed, 39, was handed a 12-month community order for affray in relation to his behaviour in the office of Dewsbury and Mirfield’s Labour MP Paula Sherriff.

He became aggressive while asking for help with a passport application in March.

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Ms Sherriff’s base is four miles from the constituency office in Birstall, where Mrs Cox was shot and stabbed to death in June.

Saeed admitted the affray charge before he went on trial at Leeds Crown Court, where he was cleared of two counts of making threats to kill.

Saeed, of Nelson Street, Dewsbury, appeared for the sentencing via video link from HMP Armley, where he has been held on remand since the offence on March 9.

Mr Justice Goss, who also appeared by video link from the Royal Courts of Justice, told him: “If you behave in this way again, I have already told you, you can expect a significant custodial sentence.”

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Saeed received the community order and was told he must carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.

During the two-day trial in July, the judge heard case worker Julie Ward describe how Saeed was aggressive and shouting as he asked about getting a passport so he could travel to Iraq.

Mrs Ward told the jury that Saeed threatened to shoot her, although she did not see a gun.

She also said the defendant, who is from Iraq but had lived in the UK for 14 years, talked about getting a rifle and shooting students at a local college.

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Saeed told police Mrs Ward had misunderstood what he said due to his poor English.

The judge said after the trial: “Here, unfortunately, we know that three months after he was behaving in this way a Member of Parliament lost her life.

People occupying such roles are entitled to be protected in so far as the law can protect them.”

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