Man convicted of sending death threats to Stonewall head Ben Summerskill
A man has reportedly been given a suspended prison sentence for sending death threats to Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill.
Anthony Ryan threatened to “put a bullet in the head of Dame Summerskill” after Stonewall supported a gay couple who were turned away from a bed and breakfast.
The story was first reported by PinkPaper.com, which did not give Ryan’s age, location or occupation, the date of the sentence or the court which dealt with the case.
Ryan is said to have sent the email in January, after Steven Preddy and Martyn Hall won damages against a Cornwall B&B which turned them away because of their sexuality.
Calling the couple “evil sexual weirdos”, he vowed to embark on a “campaign of terror” against gay rights campaigners.
According to the website, Ryan wrote: “It is going to give me great pleasure to put a bullet in the head of Dame Ben Summerskill, Steven Preddy and Martyn Hall and any other Homosexual vermin that I have the misfortune to come accross. I suggest that the people mentioned in this E-mail and indeed all evil biggoted Homosexual scum start making their funeral arrangements [sic].”
Stonewall reported the threat to police and Ryan was convicted of making threats to kill.
He was handed an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
