Man to be sentenced after throwing cup at Clacton MP Nigel Farage during General Election campaign

A man who threw a coffee cup at Reform UK leader and Clacton MP Nigel Farage during the General Election campaign is due to be sentenced.

Josh Greally, 28, from Derbyshire, was arrested in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, on 11 June after throwing what looked like a paper cup containing a liquid, and another object, at Mr Farage.

He threw the objects from a fenced-off construction workers' area while the Reform UK bus was parked in the town centre.

The Clacton MP was on the top deck of a battle bus during the election campaign at the time and had been speaking to supporters before being interrupted by demonstrators, just before the incident.

Neither of the objects hit him but Mr Farage described the attack as "pretty nasty".

It came just a few days after a 25-year-old woman from Clacton allegedly threw a milkshake over Mr Farage after he left a Wetherspoons pub in the seaside town, during the election campaign.

Victoria Thomas Bowen, of St Osyth Road in Clacton, Essex, pleaded not guilty to assault by beating and criminal damage at Westminster Magistrates Court in July.

Greally, of Damsbrook Drive, Clowne, who has never been in trouble with the law before, appeared before a district judge at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court in June, where he pleaded guilty to a public order offence.

The first item thrown appeared to be a coffee cup but it was not clear what the second item was, and could have been another cup or some paper, according to Judge Tim Spruce.

Greally is due to be sentenced on Wednesday at Barnsley Magistrates' Court.

Judge Spruce told the defendant: “All sentencing options are open.”

The 28-year-old admitted to using threatening, abusive or insulting words and behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke unlawful violence.

Judge Spruce added it was "a concern" that a politician was targeted.

Prosecutor Kirsty Pearson said the fact the incident happened during a General Election campaign made it "much more serious".

Greally was arrested after the incident was caught on video by several bystanders.

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