Essex man who sent 'racist' letter to Rishi Sunak sentenced

Stephen Burke called the then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife racist slurs, adding “we’re after you” and that Mr Sunak should “be quick” if he wanted to “save himself” in a letter on November 9, 2022.

Burke, 68, also referred to the couple’s children, warning Mr Sunak that he and his family “better watch your backs”.

The letter was intercepted at 10 Downing Street before it could be opened by the PM.

District Judge Paul Goldspring at Westminster Magistrates’ Court said Burke’s intention was “clearly for Rishi Sunak to read the letter, and for him to feel offended, perhaps threatened, and certainly distressed by its content”.

Threatened - Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty

Burke appeared in court on Tuesday to be sentenced after he admitted sending an offensive letter.

He was told his offence came close to crossing the custodial threshold as the judge referred to the "racial undertone" of the letter.

Referring to Burke’s frequent use of a racist slur throughout the letter, Judge Goldspring said: “It’s abhorrent. The word itself is abhorrent, the reason to use the word is abhorrent, and the whole process you went through sending this letter is abhorrent.

“There are many ways to say that you are not happy with the way someone is running the country that does not require you being racist or xenophobic.”

Judge Goldspring added: “You thought it necessary to mention his children. Let me be very clear, all politicians accept that they put themselves in the public eye and are therefore fair game for proper criticism.

“What it is not a licence to is for them to be made threats to, or reference their children.”

The court heard the team at 10 Downing Street assessed the level of threat and decided that the risk was high.

“Once they read the letter, they reported it to the police because it contained physical threats with offensive and racist language,” said Andrew Moss, prosecuting.

Burke admitted a single charge of sending a letter conveying an indecent or offensive message on September 16 this year.

Sandeep Pankhania, mitigating, said the defendant wrote the letter after he became addicted to alcohol and lost his job as a result.

He said: “He is sorry and you will have read in the pre-sentence report that his remorse and contrition are genuine."

Burke, of Edith Road, Clacton, was sentenced to an 18-month community order and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also made subject to GPS trail monitoring for a period of six months and ordered to pay £199 in costs and a surcharge.