A man has been given a suspended sentence after he admitted sending a threatening email to Angela Rayner in which he told Labour’s deputy leader to “watch your back and your kids”.

Benjamin Iliffe, from Cambridgeshire, was sentenced at Huntingdon Magistrates’ Court to 15 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months.

The 36-year-old sent the message from his personal account on 16 October and was arrested on Wednesday, the court heard.

The email told mother-of-three Ms Rayner to “watch your back and your kids” and added: “Promise you c***.

“There’s so many people in this country now, after your poster boy murdered an Englishman who are coming after you now c***.

“You were easy to find btw [by the way].

“I already found your personal home address.”

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Iliffe, who also admitted possessing a quantity of cannabis when he was arrested, appeared by video-link from Thorpe Wood police station in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

He was made the subject of a two-year restraining order which requires him not to contact Ms Rayner directly or indirectly, not to communicate with her on social media and not to go to her office in Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester.

Iliffe was also ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and 35 days of rehabilitation activity.

In addition he will have to pay £85 costs, a £128 victim surcharge and was fined £50 for the cannabis, which was ordered to be forfeited and destroyed.

Sentencing Iliffe, presiding magistrate Andrew Riddington said: “We believe that the offences are so serious that it does cross the custody threshold.

“It’s so serious because of the psychological harm caused to a public servant.”

But he said the sentence could be suspended due to credit for Iliffe’s guilty pleas and the “remorse shown”.

Mr Riddington expressed his hope that the rehabilitation activity would help Iliffe with his “low self esteem” and “drug use”.

Claire Thorneley, who mitigated for the defendant, said he had no previous convictions.

“It’s one email sent from his own personal account with no attempt to disguise himself,” she told the court.

“He made full admissions in police interview as to his conduct.

“He was very apologetic and remorseful.

“He’s expressed twice that he would wish an opportunity to apologise personally to Ms Rayner for the fear and distress he caused.”

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