Woman jailed for harrassment of Rachel Reeves’ sister
A woman who tried to subpoena Rachel Reeves’ sister has been jailed for harassment.
Trans woman Tracey Smith sent 22 emails and 10 voicemails to MP Ellie Reeves, calling her “transphobic” and accusing her older sister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, of physically assaulting her in a snack bar.
Smith used expressions such as “He who has nothing to lose is dangerous”, “He should be warned” and “There will be bullets flying around”.
The 58-year-old man was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison and ordered to pay £650 costs at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
District Judge Michael Snow also ordered a no-time restraining order imposed.
Smith had persuaded a district court to issue a witness subpoena to the Attorney General, Ms. Reeves; The MP was only able to avoid this with the help of the Speaker’s lawyers.
He also made accusations against the local council, doctors and police and demanded that Ms Reeves contact him personally to get the full story.
Smith claimed he tried to seek help from the Lewisham West and East Dulwich MP, but after a one-day hearing last month the judge found him guilty of harassment.
Sentencing, District Judge Snow said: “I am appalled that the civil courts are so poorly organized that they fail to consider whether the witness has material evidence to produce and fail to consider whether the purpose of subpoenaing the witness is harassment.”
The judge said Smith’s offending was intended to cause “maximum fear and distress” to Ms Reeves and was a “direct attack on democracy”.
He told Smith he used language that was “provocative, threatening and continued even after you were expressly told to desist.”
He added: “This was deliberate, planned and had a very significant impact on Ms Reeves, causing her significant anxiety which prevented her from fully communicating with her family.”
Sentencing Smith, he told her: “You have caused Ms. Reeves to make significant changes in her lifestyle and this has directly affected her democratic duties.
“You caused him to appoint a private security guard to accompany him, you caused him to change his behavior within his constituency so that he no longer travels on foot or by public transport.”
The judge added: “You are presenting a risk to anyone who can effect change and who fails to meet your expectations.
“Your behavior contributes to an atmosphere that discourages people from becoming politicians and perhaps discourages politicians from performing their public duties.”
The court heard that between July and October 2024, Smith sent emails and left voicemails accusing Ms Reeves of “legalising sexual abuse”, “abusing the law” and being a “fascist”.
Ms Reeves told the hearing that Smith left her a “slightly threatening” voicemail saying he was “running out of time” to respond.
The court heard that in one of Smith’s emails he said Ms Reeves’s sister, Rachel Reeves, “looked like the woman who attacked me in the snack bar”.
Ms Reeves told the hearing that Smith’s communication “upset me and my staff, it felt like it wasn’t going to stop”.
