Anti-vaccine protester guilty of harassing former Health Secretary Matt Hancock

An anti-vaccine protester who accused Matt Hancock of murdering people during the coronavirus pandemic has been found guilty of harassment.

The former health secretary said he feared being pushed down an escalator by Geza Tarjanyi, 62, of Leyland, Lancashire, who shoulder-barged him and “shouted ridiculous conspiracy theories” on two separate occasions on 19 and 24 January.

Tarjanyi was given an eight-week prison sentence suspended for two years and must complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £930 plus a surcharge of £128.

He must not approach or contact the MP for three years.

Mr Hancock previously told a trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court: “As a public figure, I can’t recall a time when I felt as intimidated as this.”

On the first occasion, Mr Hancock, along with a member of his staff, passed an anti-vaccination protest near Parliament, before Tarjanyi filmed him, asked him why he had “killed so many people” and shoulder-barged him during a five-minute interaction.

Appearing in person as a witness in June, the MP told the court: “I felt physically intimidated and felt like I needed to get to a place of safety, he was being completely unreasonable.

“I didn’t know what further unreasonable actions he would take.”

Closing the case for the prosecution, Nutan Fatania said: “Mr Tarjanyi was following Mr Hancock. It was reckless of Mr Tarjanyi to be that close.

“He knew (his actions) would be distressing.

“Mr Hancock felt extremely intimidated. It was deeply upsetting and alarming.”

The second incident occurred at about 8am when Tarjanyi followed the MP through Westminster Underground station and onto a train for about 10 minutes, again accusing him of murdering people.

Mr Hancock said he recognised the defendant and felt “more intimidated” because he was on his own and tried to get Transport for London (TfL) staff to intervene.

But he told the court that Tarjanyi began harassing “anybody who was going to come to my aid” and continued following him through the station.

Mr Hancock said he stopped at the top of an escalator to “resolve the situation” but felt the defendant pushing him towards it.

He said: “Obviously, I was extremely worried at this time. If I had lost my balance at that point, I would have tumbled down the escalator.

“I had to work to maintain my balance and stop myself falling down the escalator.”

The former health secretary feared Tarjanyi was willing to commit a crime, alleging the defendant had told him he “wanted to go to court”.

Tarjanyi then got onto the Jubilee Line train with Mr Hancock and accused him of murdering “millions of people” before they were separated at Bond Street station.

The defendant’s mobile phone footage of the second incident, played to the court, showed him calling Mr Hancock a “murderous scumbag” and saying lockdown amounted to the harassment of the country due to his “lies and deceit”.

Tarjanyi denied the charge of harassment without violence and described the claims as “laughable”.

Closing the defence case, Parveen Mansoor said: “As far as he is concerned, Mr Tarjanyi was there to ask questions.

“Mr Hancock did not ask police officers to help him.”

When asked if he followed Mr Hancock, Tarjanyi repeatedly denied it and told the court he was “interviewing him”.

Tarjanyi was found guilty by senior district judge Paul Goldspring.

Mr Goldspring said: “The defendant’s behaviour was oppressive.

“He deliberately intimidated and harassed Mr Hancock. The defendant did bump into Mr Hancock, deliberately so.

“He wanted a day in court to question Mr Hancock.”

Tarjanyi will be sentenced on Wednesday.

Mr Hancock, 44, was health secretary when the coronavirus pandemic struck and was a key figure in the lockdown restrictions and vaccine rollout that followed.

He resigned after leaked CCTV images showed him kissing an adviser in his office, in breach of his own social-distancing guidance.

Reacting to the news, Mr Hancock said: “I am relieved at this guilty verdict. This individual didn’t just attack me, but he’s attacked several MPs and other public servants.

“We in the UK pride ourselves as a global symbol of democracy, built around respectful debate to build a more inclusive and harmonious society. Violence against anyone for their political beliefs is unacceptable.

“I would like to thank the CPS, Transport for London and the British Transport Police who have been fantastic throughout.”

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