A woman has been jailed for 26 weeks after she was found to have harassed MP Ellie Reeves, leaving her scared to travel around the area without personal security.
The court heard 58-year-old Tracey Smith, who is a trans woman, sent the MP for Lewisham West and East Dulwich 22 emails and 10 voicemails accusing her of being “transphobic”.
The judge Michael Snow told the court the harassment had left the MP scared to travel around on foot or by public transport and had forced her to hire a special protection officer.
Smith also accused the MP’s older sister, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, of physically assaulting her at a buffet bar.
She was jailed for 26 weeks, ordered to pay costs of £650 and handed a restraining order at Westminster magistrates court on Friday, 28 November.
Smith claimed she had been asking the MP for help but the judge Michael Snow found her guilty of harassment after a one-day trial in October.
The judge said she had caused Reeves “significant anxiety” and said she repeatedly used language which was “inflammatory, which was threatening and which continued even after you were told in no uncertain terms to desist”.
He added Smith had caused the MP to make significant changes to her daily routine and security arrangements which had impacted her ability to carry out her duties as an MP.
The court heard that Smith left intimidating voicemails between July and October 2024 accusing Reeves of “legalising sexual abuse” and calling her a “fascist”.
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Smith left a “slightly menacing” voicemail telling her “time is running out” for her to respond, Reeves told the trial.
She said she felt the harassment was “upsetting” to both her and her staff and that it “felt like it wasn’t going to stop.”
