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A woman has admitted to throwing a milkshake over Nigel Farage while he was campaigning in Essex ahead of this summer\u2019s general election.<\/p>\n
A banana-flavoured McDonald\u2019s milkshake was thrown over the Reform UK leader in Clacton-on-Sea after he addressed supporters at a rally that marked the launch of his campaign on 4 June.<\/p>\n
The Clacton MP was doused as he left the Moon and Starfish Wetherspoon pub and was left with the yellow liquid splattered across his dark blue suit.<\/p>\n
Victoria Thomas Bowen, 25, was charged with assault by beating following the incident.<\/p>\n
The 25-year-old was also charged with criminal damage after causing \u00a317.50 of damage to a jacket belonging to Mr Farage\u2019s security officer, James Woolfenden.<\/p>\n
Victoria Thomas Bowen leaving Westminster Magistrates\u2019 Court in London, after pleading guilty to assault by beating and criminal damage (Stefan Rousseau\/PA)Thomas Bowen, of St Osyth Road in the seaside town, had originally denied the charges and was due to go on trial at Westminster Magistrates\u2019 Court on Monday but changed her pleas to guilty before proceedings began.<\/p>\n
Deputy senior district judge Tan Ikram told the defendant: \u201cYou have pleaded guilty to, in my judgment, two serious charges.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was an unprovoked, targeted attack now on an elected member of parliament.<\/p>\n
\u201cI take a serious view of these offences.<\/p>\n
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (fourth from left) and Victoria Thomas Bowen (sixth from left) arriving at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London (PA Video\/PA)\u201cI am seeking a pre-sentence report, which will consider all options for sentence.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 25-year-old has been granted unconditional bail, with her sentencing hearing set for the morning of 16 December.<\/p>\n
In a witness statement read out to the court on his behalf, Mr Farage said: \u201cThe cup hit me directly in my face \u2026 liquid went all over me.\u201d<\/p>\n
While he said he was not injured, he described the incident as causing him \u201cconcern\u201d, because he has \u201conly been going about my job\u201d and he tries to \u201chave as much public engagement as possible\u201d.<\/p>\n
Nigel Farage\u2019s candidacy in Clapton was dampened within a day when the banana milkshake was thrown over him as he left the Moon and Starfish pub (PA)He added: \u201cI\u2019m saddened that this has happened at a public campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas Bowen was arrested shortly after the incident and told police in an interview that she saw a post online advertising Mr Farage\u2019s attendance that day, the court heard.<\/p>\n
She told officers she \u201cdoes not agree with his political views\u201d.<\/p>\n
She said she was outside the pub when she saw him leaving and decided to act because she \u201chad the opportunity\u201d, but that she did not intend for the cup to hit Mr Farage.<\/p>\n
Victoria Thomas Bowen, 25, arriving at Westminster Magistrates\u2019 Court in central London on Monday (PA Video\/PA)Giving details from her police interview, prosecutor Nishma Shah told the court: \u201cShe acknowledges that this was an assault and that the liquid would have gone over the jackets of him and others and caused them to get cleaning, but she states that Nigel would be able to afford this.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe states she did not regret her actions.\u201d<\/p>\n
When questioned on why Thomas Bowen changed her plea on the day of trial, Andrew Price, defending, told the judge: \u201cThis case has had a tremendous impact on this defendant.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have been a number of threats made against this defendant and she as much as possible wanted to put it out of her mind and avoid making the decision that she ultimately has come to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Victoria Thomas Bowen was arrested shortly after the incident (Stefan Rousseau\/PA)The barrister earlier made a successful application to the court to allow his client not to read her address out in open court, explaining that \u201cvery severe threats have been made\u201d concerning the case.<\/p>\n
Thomas Bowen, who is an OnlyFans model, did not make a comment as she left Westminster Magistrates\u2019 Court on Monday morning.<\/p>\n
She has more than 44,000 followers on Twitter\/X, and lists \u201ccontent creator\u201d as her profession on her account.<\/p>\n
She posted a video to her Instagram story as she left court after Monday\u2019s hearing, showing members of the press photographing her exiting the building.<\/p>\n
The Clacton MP was left with the yellow liquid splattered across his dark blue suit (AFP via Getty Images)Following Monday\u2019s hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Rob Huddleston, from Essex Police, said: \u201cIt is vital that democracy is allowed to take place and we police without fear or favour.<\/p>\n
\u201cDisagreeing with someone\u2019s political views is not an excuse to use violence or intimidation.<\/p>\n
\u201cElected officials and people standing for elected office, like any member of the public, must be allowed to go about their business without fear for their safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a separate incident, in August, Josh Greally, of Clowne, Derbyshire, was sentenced to six weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, after admitting throwing a coffee cup and another item at Mr Farage as he campaigned on his battle bus in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, on 11 June.<\/p>\n
Previously, during a campaign walkabout in Newcastle in 2019, Mr Farage had a banana and salted caramel milkshake thrown at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cMilkshaking\u201d \u2013 the act of dousing public figures in a milkshake \u2013 was officially recognised by Collins Dictionary the same year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emails A woman has admitted to throwing a milkshake over Nigel Farage while he was campaigning in Essex ahead of this summer\u2019s general election. A banana-flavoured McDonald\u2019s milkshake was thrown […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3738,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n