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A 61-year-old man, Edward Brandt, has been sentenced to 20 weeks in prison after stalking Dame Penny Mordaunt, a former Conservative leadership contender. Brandt repeatedly tried to contact Dame Penny through emails and phone messages and even appeared unannounced at her Portsmouth office outside working hours, hoping to meet her. Last November, a jury at Southampton Crown Court convicted him of stalking, though he was acquitted of a more serious charge related to causing serious alarm or distress.
The stalking incidents occurred over an extended period, from September 2023 until May 2024. Brandt, a former councillor from Lymington in Hampshire and ex-member of East Hampshire District Council, was apprehended in March 2024. After his arrest, he received a conditional caution in April which prohibited him from contacting Dame Penny. Despite this, Brandt left two voicemail messages, one of which included the statement: “I am going to go on gently knocking at your door in order to shake your hand, I am not giving up.” He claimed his intentions were political and harmless, wanting to express support and discuss her leadership bid and time in office.
Dame Penny, who served as Portsmouth North MP from 2010 to 2024, expressed in a victim impact statement the severe toll the stalking had taken on her life. She described herself as living in constant fear of confrontation and having experienced “huge anxiety and distress.” As a result, she increased security measures both at her home and office, altered her daily routines, and was provided with police protection during a carol service event where she was a special guest. She told the court, “I am completely exhausted due to the stress, every time I step out of the building I am looking over my shoulder and checking to see if he is there.”
The sentencing judge, William Mousley KC, emphasized the lasting and significant impact Brandt’s actions had on Dame Penny, noting her vulnerability as an MP who regularly engaged with the public. He referenced the dangers that public officials can face, highlighting that Dame Penny’s fears were understandable given past incidents involving MPs. The court also heard that Brandt had a history of inappropriate behavior towards other women, as well as convictions for drink-driving and a battery offense against a former partner. Brandt received 12 weeks for the stalking conviction and an additional eight weeks for violating the stalking protection order, to be served consecutively. Following the verdict, Dame Penny acknowledged the distress suffered not only by herself but also by her former staff, encouraging others not to be discouraged from serving their communities despite such challenges
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