Jail for man who made 'Jo Cox' threat against MP Anna Soubry

An abusive caller who rang MP Anna Soubry's office and said she should be "Jo Cox'd" has been jailed.

John Wombell, 58, made the obscene call last year, months after MP Jo Cox was stabbed and shot by a right-wing extremist.

He has been sentenced at Westminster Magistrates Court to eight weeks in prison and given a restraining order, Metropolitan Police said.

Ms Soubry tweeted: "Thank you @metpoliceuk & @nottspolice - man who called my constituency office saying I shld be "Jo Coxd" pleaded G & got 8 weeks in prison".

In a later post she said: "Call taken by constituency team = victims. Strong message courts won't tolerate malicious calls. MP's staff deserve respect".

The Broxtowe MP has been vocally in favour of the Remain campaign and was a leading supporter of the pro-EU Open Britain.

She quit Open Britain on Tuesday after it drew up a hit list of mainly Conservative MPs it wants to oust at the General Election.

Wombell, of Cherry Orchard, West Drayton, Hillingdon, was sentenced on Monday after pleading guilty to sending a message that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing on November 13 last year.

Mother-of-two Mrs Cox, 41, was shot and stabbed by neo-Nazi Thomas Mair in her Batley and Spen constituency on June 16 last year. He was later handed a whole-life prison sentence for her murder.