A 21-year-old man who sent racist death threats to former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak whilst claiming he was “probably drunk” has been spared immediate imprisonment at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court.
Liam Shaw, from Birkenhead in Merseyside, was handed a 14-week suspended sentence on Wednesday after admitting to sending two threatening and offensive emails to Mr Sunak’s public email address on 15 June last year, when the Conservative leader was still serving as Prime Minister.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the language in the emails was “racist, offensive and suggested Mr Sunak should be killed by the public.” The messages were discovered by the former Prime Minister’s personal assistant, who immediately reported the matter to police.
‘I Don’t Remember Sending an Email’
Shaw was arrested on 3 September 2024 after police traced the emails to his phone and email address, linking them to a hostel where he was staying in Birkenhead. When officers put the allegations to him, Shaw claimed: “I don’t even remember sending an email. I was probably drunk.”
Despite his initial response to police, Shaw remained silent throughout his formal interview at a Liverpool police station. He was subsequently charged with two counts of sending by a public communication network an offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing message.
The 21-year-old pleaded guilty to both charges at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on 10 July 2025, before being sentenced on Wednesday to 14 weeks’ imprisonment for both counts, to run concurrently. The sentence was suspended for 12 months.
Judge Condemns Attack on Democracy
District Judge Timothy Boswell delivered a stern rebuke during sentencing, stating: “Direct access to your constituency MP is a cornerstone of democracy. Misusing that access is detrimental to the democratic process. Clearly it is a highly aggravating factor for the offence.”
As part of his sentence, Shaw must complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity and undertake a six-month drug rehabilitation course. The court also imposed a two-year restraining order, prohibiting Shaw from having any contact with Mr Sunak or his constituency office in Richmond and Northallerton, Yorkshire.
Senior Crown Prosecutor Matthew Dixon of CPS Mersey Cheshire said Shaw had “took to his phone that night to send racist and threatening messages to a person in an extremely important public office.”
CPS Defends Free Speech Whilst Drawing Clear Boundaries
Mr Dixon emphasised the balance between freedom of expression and criminal behaviour, stating: “The CPS has always and will continue to safeguard a person’s right to freedom of expression. But this is clearly a case where the comments made were utterly beyond the boundary of what is tolerable in a fair, just and multi-racial society.”
He added that Shaw’s messages had “passed into the realm of criminality,” concluding: “Racist abuse has no place, anywhere, in this day and age.”
The case highlights ongoing concerns about the safety of politicians and the abuse they face through digital communications. MPs across all parties have reported increasing levels of threatening and abusive messages in recent years, with several high-profile cases resulting in criminal prosecutions.
Pattern of Political Abuse
Shaw’s case comes against a backdrop of heightened concerns about the safety of elected representatives. The sentencing serves as a reminder that whilst political criticism is a fundamental right in a democracy, threats of violence and racist abuse cross a clear legal line.
The fact that Shaw was living in a hostel at the time of the offence and his apparent issues with alcohol and drugs, as evidenced by the rehabilitation requirements in his sentence, paint a picture of a troubled young man. However, the court made clear that personal circumstances do not excuse threatening behaviour towards public figures.
Mr Sunak, who served as Prime Minister from October 2022 until July 2024, has not commented publicly on the case. He continues to serve as MP for Richmond and Northallerton, having retained his seat in the 2024 general election despite the Conservative Party’s defeat.
The suspended sentence means Shaw will avoid immediate imprisonment provided he complies with the court’s requirements and commits no further offences during the 12-month suspension period. Any breach of these conditions could result in the activation of the custodial sentence.
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Image Credit (Shortened):
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visits Border Force in Dover (5 June 2023) – by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
