Ex-teacher who sent racist emails to Kemi Badenoch jailed

A former school teacher who sent Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch racist emails and claimed to have been a member of the IRA has been jailed.

Kieran Kyle wrote to Ms Badenoch's parliamentary email address three times on 2 May this year, including one in which he said "when I was in the IRA I would have shot you f****** dead".

In two earlier emails, he made racist references, writing: "I'm ex-IRA, so Bloody Sunday references from you are going to give you trouble," Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.

On 30 January 1972, 13 people were shot dead on what became known as Bloody Sunday when members of the Parachute Regiment opened fire during a civil rights march in Londonderry/Derry.

The messages were sent on the day the Tory leader apologised after video of Bloody Sunday appeared by mistake in a party social media clip criticising a government bill addressing legacy issues in Northern Ireland.

She did not sign off on the video, she said, adding that it was sent out by "very young people".

The video criticising the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, posted to her social media channels on 28 April, showed Ms Badenoch saying the Labour legislation would "drag" Troubles veterans back to court.

The following day, Kyle, from Gillingham in Kent, sent an email to Ms Badenoch's husband, Hamish, which used a racist term and said she had a "big mouth" and he should "put a leash on her", Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.

The defendant wrote again on 2 May, using a racist term and saying "misusing Bloody Sunday is a new low, pray she never ends up in Belfast 'cos she'll be left face down in a ditch with a bullet in her head".

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Kyle, who pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to two counts of sending communication of an indecent or offensive nature, was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison on Monday.

Baiju Thittala, defending, told the court Kyle had never been an IRA member, despite claiming so in his emails.

In a victim impact statement, Mr and Mrs Badenoch said: "Our primary concern arising from this offence is not the personal impact on us, but the wider consequences that malicious communications and targeted harassment have on our democratic life.

"When individuals choose to intimidate, threaten, or aggressively target elected representatives or public figures, the harm extends far beyond any single person. It undermines a healthy democracy.

"Public service relies on people being willing to step forward, often at significant personal cost, to represent their communities and contribute to public life.

"Increasingly, however, those who do so face hostility, harassment, and attempts to silence or intimidate them."

The statement continued: "Harassing politicians and public figures damages our democracy, deters good people from entering public service, and diminishes the quality of leadership available to us all.

"That is the real impact of this offence, and it is why addressing such behaviours matters."

The judge also handed Kyle a restraining order, meaning he cannot contact Ms Badenoch, her husband or her parliamentary office for five years.

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