A 63-year-old east London man has been found guilty of harassing Walthamstow's MP on a Victoria line train after shouting at her and blocking her exit.
Clifford Wilby confronted Labour MP Stella Creasy on 15th July last year on a service between Walthamstow Central and Finsbury Park, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard on Tuesday.
The court was told Wilby blocked Ms Creasy from leaving the carriage, verbally abused her and began filming the encounter until other passengers intervened.
Sarah Madden, prosecuting, said Wilby and Ms Creasy had first met during a 2024 Zoom meeting held in her capacity as an MP, which was ended because of his abuse. Ms Creasy said he had made "very serious allegations", became aggressive, and claimed to have been diagnosed as a psychopath.
On the day of the incident, Ms Creasy told the court, Wilby stood up and blocked her from leaving the train, shouting about knife crime and what he saw as her failings as an MP.
"Obviously I was concerned that I was in an enclosed space with him," she said. "He was very close. I stated very clearly this wasn't appropriate."
Commuters who recognised Ms Creasy stepped in, with one man placing himself between her and Wilby. She left the train at Finsbury Park through a different door.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram found Wilby guilty of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
"The only reasonable inference that can be drawn from the evidence is that he wanted her to feel threatened in the circumstances, that he intended to cause her alarm or distress," he said.
Sentencing has been adjourned to 8th September.
