Sound engineer Stephen McIntyre jailed for making Jo Cox death threat at Worthing polling station

Stephen McIntyre, 45, from Worthing, made the threat to former Worthing borough councillor and newsagent, Vino Vijayakumar, at a polling station on general election day in June.

The threat refers to Labour MP Jo Cox who was shot and stabbed to death by a far-right fanatic in June 2016.

District judge Christopher James, jailing McIntyre for 12 weeks, said the threat was “designed to cause fear and terror” at a sentencing hearing at Worthing Magistrates.

The court heard McIntyre became angry and aggressive when he unexpectedly bumped into Mr Vijayakumar, 36, who he had previously argued with over a missing parcel, at a polling station in Church Road, Worthing, on June 8.

Gaynor Byng, prosecuting, said: “McIntyre approached Mr Vijayakumar at the polling station in an aggressive and threatening manner. He was abusive and swearing about monies owed.

“He had been a customer at the newsagents months previous when he claims his package went missing.

“Two other parties described him as aggressive and heard him refer to Jo Cox with a phrase similar to ‘you will get the same’”.

Mr Vijayakumar called the police and McIntyre was tracked down by the address on his polling card.

Julia French, defending, said the musician was remorseful for making the threat.

She said: “He accepts he used abusive language and made reference to Jo Cox, and something he regrets and shows remorse for.

“When asked by police why he said it, he could not provide an explanation and said it was a foolish thing to do and said it in the heat of the moment.

“He wants it to be known he thinks what happened to Jo Cox was horrific, and he is upset to be associated with that in any way."

Stephen McIntyre, of Upton Road, Worthing, was found guilty at a trial at Worthing Magistrates court last month of using threatening and abusive words and behaviour with intent to cause fear of unlawful violence.

District judge James, sentencing, said only a prison sentence was appropriate.

He said: "You have been found guilty of an extremely unpleasant offence. The threats you made were clearly designed to cause fear and terror.

"You referred to a horrific incident which was disturbing in its own right. Therefore to make reference to the event and threaten someone else is so serious only a custodial sentence is appropriate."

McIntyre standing in shock gasped in the dock as he was taken down. He will serve half of 12 week prison sentence, before being released on a a year licence.

He must also pay a £115 victim surcharge and given a restraining order preventing him from contacting Mr Vijayakumar or visiting his newsagents.

'I was so frightened I wore a stab proof vest'

Speaking to The Argus after the hearing Mr Vijayakumar said he felt frightened by the death threat, and took it so seriously he wore a stab-proof vest.

Mr Vajayakumar was at the polling station on June 8 as representative of the Conservative Party.

He said: “I felt threatened on the day it happened, especially it being polling day. I did wear a stab-proof vest after.

“It was upsetting for me, and it was quite disrespectful to Jo Cox and her family.

“I would encourage people if they feel threatened to call the police. Please have faith in our justice system.”

The former Worthing Borough for Central Ward, newsagent and security firm owner, is now encouraging others not to be scared to report threats to the police.

He previously encountered the sound engineer in a dispute over drum kit that was meant to be delivered to his shop Taylors Newsagent in South Street,Worthing.

Mr Vajayakumar added: “Everything has to be transparent, and his delivery was not even logged. So he was claiming we had a parcel we did not even have.”