Woman jailed for harassing Rachel Reeves’ sister | Ellie Reeves

A woman who tried to subpoena MP attorney general Ellie Reeves has been jailed for harassment in London.

Tracey Smith sent 22 emails and 10 voicemails to Reeves, calling him “transphobic” and accusing her older sister, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, of physically assaulting her at a snack bar.

Smith, a trans woman, used expressions such as “A person who has nothing to lose is dangerous” and “Bullets will be 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 Reeves; The MP was only able to avoid this with the help of the House of Commons speaker’s lawyers.

He also made accusations against the local council, doctors and police, and demanded that 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.

District Judge Snow said Smith’s offending was intended to cause “maximum fear and distress” to 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.”

Snow 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 court heard that between July and October 2024, Smith sent emails and left voicemails accusing Reeves of “legalising sexual abuse”, “abusing the law” and being a “fascist”.

Reeves told the hearing that Smith left him a “slightly threatening” voicemail saying he was “running out of time” to respond.

The court heard that in one of Smith’s emails, the MP said his sister and her chancellor “looked like the woman who attacked me in the buffet bar”.

Reeves also said at the hearing that Smith’s communication “upset me, upset my staff, felt like it wasn’t going to stop.”