British MP Allegedly Threatened Woman With Acid, Sending Naked Photos to Her Children

The Independent Member of Parliament for Leicester East and political adviser to former London mayor Ken Livingstone, Claudia Webbe has denied one charge of harassment.

British MP Claudia Webbe, 56, allegedly threatened to send 59-year-old Michelle Merritt pictures of a naked Merritt to her family, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard on Monday. Webbe was reported to be jealous of Merritt's friendship with Webbe's partner Lester Thomas.

The MP has also allegedly referred to Merritt as “a slag” during the calls she placed between 1 September 2018 and 26 April 2020. The court heard that Webbe supposedly rang Merritt 16 times in what was a string of short silent phone calls from a withheld number.

"The reason for the harassment would appear to be the fact that Michelle Merritt was friends with Lester Thomas and this was an issue for the defendant Claudia Webbe," prosecutor Susannah Stevens said.

Merritt told the court that she had been friends with Mr Thomas for over 15 years, having previously dated.

"There was a pattern that whenever I even met with Lester Thomas - if we had gone out for a drink or something - there would be a phone call. When you are being called and no one answers, it's unnerving, especially if you're a woman who lives alone," the woman told the court.

The harassment allegedly escalated on 31 March 2019, when the MP asked Merritt about her relationship with Mr Thomas.

Webbe then introduced herself as "Lester's girlfriend" and "really started shouting, 'Why are you contacting Lester?'", according to Merritt.

"She was very, very angry at me. It was loud," Merritt told the court, adding that Webbe also said Merritt "should be acid".

"She confirmed she knew where I lived and would send pictures and videos to my daughters," Ms Merritt added.

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