A 44-year-old man has appeared in court charged with stalking and impersonating a law enforcement officer while threatening to arrest former education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson.
Simon Parry, of no fixed address, “persistently followed” the Conservative Party MP on two occasions between May 24 and June 14 of this year, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
He is also said to have impersonated a police officer on June 14.
Ola Oyedepo, prosecuting, said that Parry produced a warrant card, telling Sir Gavin he would arrest him.
“The MP had walked away from the House of Commons,” she said.
“He went down a number of roads.
The MP said 'you are not a police officer'. This is when the defendant left— Ola Oyedepo, prosecuting
“He noticed that the defendant was following him. He was trying to speak to him.
“(Sir Gavin) was on the phone, he kept saying he was on the phone.
“The defendant told him he would arrest him and brought out a warrant card.
“The MP said ‘you are not a police officer’. This is when the defendant left.”
Sonia Larbi Aissa, defending, told the court that her client lives in a protest encampment in Westminster.
However, she said that an acquaintance of Parry’s had offered to put him up at his home address in south-east London ahead of his next court appearance.
Parry denied one count of stalking and one count of impersonating a law enforcement officer.
He was bailed on condition that he not enter the City of Westminster or approach Sir Gavin.
During a lull in proceedings, Parry asked Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram if he could read one of his poems aloud to the court.
The judge denied his request.
Parry will next appear for trial at City of London Magistrate’s Court on October 18.
Sir Gavin has been MP for South Staffordshire since 2010 and served in cabinet as defence secretary before becoming education secretary under Boris Johnson in 2019.
