Shamed MP Claudia Webbe today lost her appeal against a conviction for threatening to post nude pictures of her love rival who she branded a ‘s**g’ in an 18-month harassment campaign driven by ‘obsession and jealousy’.
Webbe, 57, was handed a ten-week suspended jail sentence last year after being convicted of harassing Michelle Merritt, 59, with abusive phone calls after the executive assistant began a relationship with her boyfriend, Lester Thomas.
Webbe was expelled from the Labour Party after being found guilty, but is still claiming £84,000 worth of taxpayers’ money a year to represent her Leicester East constituency as an independent.
After her failure to appeal, Webbe may be expelled from Parliament by her constituents. A recall petition could be opened by Webbe and 10% of Webbe’s constituents would vote to have her recalled. This would set off a byelection.
Labour had previously called on her to resign and supported a recall of her, if she does not.
Sat at the back of court in a black blazer and skirt, Webbe, a former adviser to the National Police Chiefs’ Council on firearms, showed no emotion today upon hearing her appeal had failed.
Ms Merritt said Webbe left her ‘fearing for her life’, and the MP was found guilty of harassment by Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring and handed a 10-week suspended jail sentence following a trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last year.
She was found guilty today after an appeal hearing held at Southwark Crown Court. Judge Deborah Taylor along with two magistrates convicted her again. Webbe was sentenced by her, having entered the Commons on December 2019, after she took over Keith Vaz’s place.
Claudia Webbe was handed a ten-week suspended jail sentence last year after being convicted of harassing Michelle Merritt with abusive phone calls, accusing her of ‘s******g around with my boyfriend’. Pictured today, Claudia Webbe arrives at Southwark Crown Court
The court was told that Ms. Merritt began harassing her by making silent calls to her phone in September 2018. It then “escalated” on Mother’s Day March 31st, 2018, when Webbe inquired why Ms. Merritt had been in touch with her boyfriend.
Ms Merritt said Webbe told her: ‘Friends don’t send friends pictures of their t**s and p***y. You’re a s**g and should be acid.’
According to the court, Ms. Merritt reported to police that she had been threatened by an acid-using public figure. She received 17 additional phone calls from Webbe over the next 14 seconds after Webbe warned her to cease contacting her.
Webbe tells her opponent nine times in one recorded phone call by Ms Merritt dated April 25, 2020.
She replies, “I’ve seen your naked images.” She says, “Get out my relationship. Otherwise I will tell all your family members and show them all your pictures.”
Judge Taylor spoke out about the comment “you should acid be”: This is a very peculiar ….. that we consider indicative of an error.
However, she claimed that the harassment was aggravated by a series silent phone calls and threats of naked photographs.
Southwark Crown Court heard yesterday from the MP that her suspicions that she was being cheated upon were justified after Ms Merritt confessed that she has been having sex since years.
Webbe sat stony-faced in court as it emerged that Mr Thomas had exchanged sexual messages with Ms Merritt, given her a £120 sex toy and frequently sent her pornography.
From behind the screen, Ms. Merritt gave evidence and admitted to having had sex between March 2017-July 2020. She described Mr Thomas as a “narcissist who loves attention”
Webbe stated that he didn’t know about Michelle Merritt’s relationship with Lester Thomas. This relationship was ongoing throughout my marriage to Lester.
“Therefore, it was a shock to me and I couldn’t deal with it.”
Helen Law, the MP’s barrister suggested that Ms. Merritt had lied to or misled magistrates’ courts when she claimed she and Mr Thomas were just good friends.
Susannah Stevens, the prosecutor said that Michelle Merritt’s and Lester Thomas’s arguments were not helpful to her case. Claudia Webbe’s suspicions about all this provide her with motivation.’.
Ms. Stevens spoke out about Ms. Merritt’s new evidence. “All of it…is relevant solely in terms of credibility. Actually, it could be said the things that were happening between Michelle Merritt & Lester Thomas are actually not helpful to appellant’s case.
Claudia Webbe is suspicious of all that Claudia Webbe has done. This provides her with an opportunity to motivate and not just defend herself.
Webbe testified yesterday to the court that she felt’suspicious’ for them, but was unaware they were engaging in sex.
She said, “At the time the lockdown occurred I might have begun to believe that something was wrong but other than that I didn’t know that they were more than just friends.”
Ms Stevens explained that not everyone is able to give complete information on a relationship with sex.
“It doesn’t necessarily follow that if sexual relations have not been disclosed, it means you are untruthful or have lied about acts of harassment.
A court hearing was reminded that Webbe had a recorded telephone conversation with Ms Merritt back in April 2020, in which Webbe shouted nine times over the phone: “Get out my relationship!”
Webbe said, in the appeal call that was played before the court on day one of appeal: “I have seen all your posts. I have also seen your naked photos.” I’ve seen your entire relationship with Lester.
“Get out of my marriage, or I will inform your entire family and show you all your photos.”
Ms Stevens stated that this piece of evidence was significant and corroborative. It can be used to make sure the panel is’sure Webbe harassed Mrs Merritt 25 April 2020.
Webbe had a ‘animus’ and an ill feeling towards Merritt, according to the barrister.
Webbe had earlier stated to the court that her threats of exposing intimate images were directed towards Mr Thomas, her ex-boyfriend who was also arguing.
Ms Stevens claimed that the recording provides ‘particular backing’ for the allegation of harassment in a telephone call to Ms Merritt, Mothers’ Day 2019, 31/03/2019.
It is alleged that, during this conversation, Webbe called Ms Merritt a ‘s**g’, threatened to send naked images of her to her family and threatened to throw acid on her.
Yesterday, Southwark Crown Court was informed that Ms. Merritt had admitted to having sex for many years with Lester Thomas, Chelsea FC’s scout. Webbe can be seen outside the courtroom with Thomas in November.
Ms. Merritt immediately reported the incident to police.
Webbe denies ever calling or sending such threats yesterday.
Helen Law for Webbe today called Ms Merritt’s a ‘good actress’ and lied to Webbe to make her seem ‘unhinged.’
“There were five times before Michelle Merritt gave evidence to the court when she had, at a minimum of, the chance to record in her accounts that she was having sexual relations with Mr Thomas,” she stated.
Ms Law stated that Ms Merritt confessed after Webbe was notified by the police about the contents of her phone.
The court was told that this meant Ms Merritt “knew” she would need to openly admit her sexual relationship with the MP’s former boyfriend.
“Her accounts for every other occasion were lies.”
Ms. Merritt told both the court during trial and appeal that she was afraid of Webbe’s behavior.
Webbe’s lawyer refuted this.
Today’s panel affirmed that Ms. Merritt was an “unsatisfactory witness” who had told lies about her relationship to Mr Thomas, and accepted portions of her testimony.
Webbe was a former advisor to the National Police Chiefs Council for firearms. She said that she separated from Mr Thomas in March after receiving messages he sent Ms Merritt. Pictured, the former couple leaving Westminster Magistrates Court on November 4, 2021
In her victim impact statement, Ms. Merritt read Webbe’s sentence in November 2021. Ms. Law stated that the whole incident had caused her to end her relationship with Lester Thomas.
“He was close to my heart and Claudia made me stop being friends with him.”
Today, the court was informed that Ms. Merritt had signed the declaration in which these assertions were made months prior to sentencing.
Before she went to the police station, Ms Law stated that.
Ms. Merritt sent Mr Thomas a text: “Is that it?” Is that really what you were doing?
Ms Law stated that she was the one who is trying to rekindle this relationship. She isn’t in fear. Within days, they’re back to where they were, having sex and sex chats, as well as meeting up.
“It ends not because Michelle Merritt fears it, but because the police investigation escalated in the middle July.”
Ms Law stated that the lies of Ms Merritt were intended to aggrave Webbe’s allegations.
She encouraged the panel members to be careful not to rely on any statements Ms Merritt made.
Webbe’s appeal was rejected and Webbe’s conviction confirmed.