A man has been jailed for emailing Labour MP Jess Phillips and telling her she would “burn until her skin is no more”.
Nabil Arif, 36, sent Ms Phillips abusive messages relating to the Gaza conflict between 13 October 2023 and 20 February this year, including one that said “hell is real, and you will burn”.
He was sentenced to 12 weeks in custody at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court and was also handed a restraining order banning him from contacting the MP until further notice.
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Arif, of Warwick Road, Birmingham, was convicted of sending, by public communication network, an offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing message or matter following a trial at the same court on 29 July.
In a victim impact statement read out to the court, Ms Phillips, the MP for Birmingham Yardley since 2015, expressed fear that Arif’s aggression towards her might escalate and potentially lead to her coming to physical harm at his hands.
She said this had changed her life “immeasurably” and “limited my freedom and my ability to do my job closely with the public as I used to do”.
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The final email, which prompted her to report Arif to the police, was sent on 20 February and called her “pathetic”, adding that she would “burn until her skin is no more”.
Richard Purchase of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Members of parliament have a right to perform their duties and represent their constituents without being subjected to derogatory messages that cause alarm and distress.
“It is clear that Nabil Arif’s behaviour escalated from the initial emails, leading Ms Phillips to fear for her safety.
“The CPS acted promptly to secure a conviction against Arif to prevent further offending.
“I hope this case serves as a reminder that we take offences like these seriously and are committed to holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.”
