Man charged following reports of threats towards Jess Phillips, Sky News understands
A man has been charged following reports of threats towards Labour safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, Sky News understands.
Jack Bennett, 39, has been charged with three counts of malicious communications, Devon and Cornwall Police said.
The messages were sent between April 2024 and January 2025 involving three victims, including the Birmingham Yardley MP.
It is understood the accused, from Seaton, east Devon, was charged over the weekend.
He has been bailed to appear before Exeter Magistrates’ Court on 18 February 2025.
Earlier on Monday, Sir Keir Starmer spoke about a “line being crossed” regarding comments towards Ms Phillips and said that she had been receiving threats.
As minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, Ms Phillips’ brief involves tackling domestic abuse, rape, and child sexual abuse and exploitation.
She was appointed to the ministerial position in July after Labour’s general election win.
Ms Phillips has been a vocal campaigner on violence against women. She has become known for reading out a list of all the women killed by men in the UK every year on International Women’s Day in parliament.
She previously held the role of shadow domestic violence and safeguarding minister from 2020 to 2023 under Sir Keir Starmer, but resigned from the frontbench over the party’s stance on the Middle East conflict.
