A ‘far-right extremist’ has been jailed after threatening to shoot and kill an MP because she supported a second Brexit referendum.

Colin Brown, 50, said he wanted to ‘make an example’ of North East MP Bridget Phillipson, and also made ‘chilling’ threats of ‘vigilante democracy’ against Sunderland Central MP Julie Elliott.

Claiming ‘MPs need shooting for what they have done to the country’, he also ‘expressed support’ for the murder of MP Jo Cox and warned he would target Muslims by driving a car into a mosque.

Brown, who suffered from mental health issues, was an inpatient at Hopewood Hospital in Sunderland in May 2019 when he said ‘there would be more Jo Coxs’, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

After being informed his views could amount to criminal behaviour, he replied ‘all politicians are criminals’, prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw said.

As he was escorted back to his room, he cautioned he could ‘easily obtain a rifle and shoot Mrs Philipson’ and showed ‘no remorse’ for his comments afterwards.

Brown described himself as a ‘far-right extremist’ as he repeated his threats during a meeting with medics in August.

Mr Wardlaw said: ‘He said if he was terminally ill he would drive a car into a mosque.

‘He said as politicians go against the will of the people they should be treated at traitors.

‘He said he was far-right extremist and his comments were not attributable to mental illness.’

When questioned by police, he told them MPs ‘needed shooting’ as they ‘attempted to keep the UK in Europe, despite the result of the referendum’.

He specifically made threats against Miss Phillipson as she ‘supported a second referendum and acted contrary to the wishes of the people of Sunderland’.

When asked if he would actually kill Miss Phillipson, Brown told officers: ‘If it came to a second referendum I would contemplate it’.

He warned he had been military trained and would be able to get a firearm from unidentified contacts.

Four months later, he made a series of calls to medical staff repeating his threats against Mrs Phillipson, saying: ‘I’m doing vigilante democracy’.

He warned he would harm Mrs Elliott, adding: ‘I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do.’

Mrs Phillipson said she was ‘fearful he may carry out his repeated and violent threats’ in a victim statement read to the court.

The ‘distressed’ MP said: ‘I work hard to serve my community. I am concerned for the safety of myself, my family and my staff.

‘My role in the community puts me in contact with members of the public on a regular basis, at public forums and surgeries.

‘I am concerned he will attend one of those events and put myself and other people in danger. 

‘I understand the strength of feeling around political issues. I work tirelessly to support my community and it should not be part of my role or an expectation people can make threats without facing consequences. They must understand the impact these things have.’

Mrs Elliott, who shares an office with Mrs Phillipson, said she got a ‘sick feeling inside’ after hearing Brown’s words.

She added: ‘I appreciate I am an MP but I am also a human being. I have a family therefore this also impacts on them.’

Penny Hall, defending, said Brown has struggled with psychosis, schizophrenia, autism and a delusional disorder.

She added: ‘At the time he was an inpatient in hospital, being treated for his mental health. Fortunately he did not act on his threats at all.’

Ms Hall added that he did not approach the MPs directly to make the threats and had since been released from hospital.

Brown, of no fixed address, was jailed for 18 months after admitting two charges of making threats to kill, using threatening behaviour with intention to cause harassment, threatening to damage property and sending a malicious communication.

He also admitted assault and common assault after he threw a chair and injured two health care workers while being treated in hospital.

Judge Tim Gittins told him his sentence would act as a ‘deterrent to others who seek to poison democratic and political debate by threatening those who disagree with you’.

The judge also issued ten year restraining orders to keep him away from both MPs, although noted that Brexit appeared to have stopped his ‘chilling’ threats.

Judge Gittins said: ‘It is clear you hold some views that are extreme and appalling in relation to race and religion.

‘You took exception to the local MP’s stance on withdrawal of the UK from the European Union.

‘You are perfectly entitled to hold a different view to anyone, as is she. What you are not entitled to do is threaten serious violence and death to that person holding a different view.’

‘It is clear you intended your threats to cause serious damage, to cause terror by your words.’

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