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A court recently convicted Clifford Wilby, a 63-year-old man from east London, of harassing Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow. The incident took place on a Victoria line train between Walthamstow Central and Finsbury Park on 15 July of the previous year. Wilby prevented Creasy from leaving the carriage and behaved in an abusive and aggressive way during the encounter.
During the hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, it was revealed that Wilby confronted Creasy about knife crime and criticized her performance as a Member of Parliament. He also filmed her during the interaction, prompting intervention from other passengers. Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram found Wilby guilty of using threatening, abusive, or insulting words and behavior intended to cause harassment, alarm, or distress.
Wilby and the MP had previously interacted during a Zoom meeting earlier in 2024, which was part of Creasy’s parliamentary duties. During that meeting, Wilby had begun complaining about a constituent, and when Creasy reminded him she could not discuss third-party cases, he made a series of serious allegations and became abusive. Wilby also mentioned being diagnosed as a psychopath, which contributed to the meeting being suspended due to his conduct.
On the day of the Tube incident, Creasy testified that Wilby made eye contact with her before standing and blocking her way, shouting about his concerns despite the noisy environment. Feeling trapped and anxious, she held out her hands as a signal to stop. Several passengers stepped in to protect her; one man stood between her and Wilby, while a woman called out that Wilby’s behavior was harassment and invited Creasy to sit beside her. Eventually, Creasy was able to exit the train at Finsbury Park via different doors after other passengers distracted Wilby.
In his defense, Wilby claimed he intended to continue their earlier conversation about the constituent and said Creasy became agitated. He denied standing in front of her or making the psychopath comment. Wilby asserted he started recording the encounter for his own safety. However, Deputy Chief Magistrate Ikram cited footage in which Wilby stated, “I don’t care about your feelings, your feelings don’t matter to me.” The magistrate concluded that Creasy had made her refusal clear and that Wilby’s disregard for her wishes was evident. The magistrate also noted the intervention by other passengers as indicative of their concern for Creasy’s safety. Wilby’s sentencing is scheduled for 8 September
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