Ex-probation officer who sent death threats to Bradford MP Naz Shah jailed

Sundas Alam was caught on CCTV sending the emails to MP Naz Shah Credit: West Yorkshire Police/PA

A former probation officer has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail for sending death threats to Bradford West MP Naz Shah.

Sundas Alam, 30, admitted threatening the Labour MP via email at York Crown Court last October after previously denying the charge.

At a sentencing hearing today, the court was told Ms Shah called the police after receiving several emails from a constituent threatening her and her children.

30 year old Sundas Alam was sentenced to three-and-a-half years behind bars Credit: West Yorkshire Police

One read "you are going to die this week coming" and another "you won't be seeing your children ever."

They came from fake email addresses to make them seem as if they were being sent by someone else.

The incidents involved Alam sending emails reporting false offences which led to three others being wrongly accused and arrested.

Officers later found CCTV footage of Alam using her phone to sent the emails and arrested her.

One of the threatening emails sent by Sundas Alam Credit: West Yorkshire Police

Sentencing Alam, His Honour Judge Morris, the Recorder of York, said she had threatened "a person who you had turned to for help and who had pointed you in the right direction for that help."

He called the threats "disgraceful, terrifying and shameful."

"There has to be an element of deterrent, especially in the light of recent tragic events." he said.

He said MPs dedicated their lives to the British people and "they should not have to put up with threats".

The judge added: "It should not be something that goes with the job. If that was the case it would deter other well-meaning people from pursuing a career in politics."

Alam was sentenced to 18 months each for three counts of sending malicious communications, to be served concurrently, and two years for perverting the course of justice.

She was also handed a 10-year restraining order.

  • Naz Shah MP says we need to "get a grasp" of the problem of MPs safety

Responding to the sentence, Naz Shah said it was "reflective of the severity" of the threats.

She said: "The judge's comments were absolutely spot on, that members of parliament we do our jobs and it shouldn't be that people feel that they can make threats to our lives so I'm glad that the judge touched on that."

Ms Shah said the case highlighted the issues with MPs safety, after the deaths of Jo Cox in 2016 and Sir David Amess last year.

She said: "In five years we've lost two members of Parliament. They were people who had families who loved what they were doing representing their constituents and to be murdered in cold blood like they were.

"Since Sundas Alam pleaded guilty three other MPs that I know of have had issues that have gone into the public domain with threats to them. That's not ok."

"It's predominantly women so we need to get a grasp and get a scale of the problem rather than MPs dealing with it on their own."

Speaking after sentencing Detective Chief Inspector Andy Farrell from West Yorkshire Police, said: “We welcome the sentence that Alam has received and hope it serves as a warning to others that threats towards public figures such as MPs are treated seriously and positive action will be taken to ensure offences are investigated thoroughly and robustly.

“West Yorkshire Police is committed to protecting members of the public from threats and harm and works closely with our MPs, to review their security arrangements and consider any additional safety concerns they may have.”