A racist who said he wanted to ‘wrap a baseball bat’ around the former Home Secretary’s head was blasted by a judge after he claimed it was a joke with his friend. Mark Davies wrote ‘I want to wrap a stick or baseball bat around your P**i head’, along with a laughing crying emoji, in a Tweet which included Suella Braverman and three other social media users at 8:23am on May 21 2023.
The 52-year-old, of Norfolk Square, in Brighton, made the vile comment in a reply to a post originally made by Ms Braverman, the MP for Fareham in Hampshire. After his arrest under the Malicious Communications Act 1988, Davies made no comment to police. At Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (May 15), the charge was amended to the Communications Act 2003 and Davies pleaded guilty to sending an electronic communication that was grossly offensive, obscene, or of menacing character.
Prosecutor Andrew Pellington said Davies Tweet was ‘targeted offending on a platform for the world to see’, and highlighted a previous offence from 2017 that was racially aggravated. Agreeing that the court should take a stern view, Judge Michael Snow said: “Anyone who is a political leader in this country is vulnerable to this type of behaviour. It undermines our democratic process and the courts have to take a tough line.”
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But defence counsel Chloe Lennon said the violent and racist Tweet had been ‘a joke between friends’, arguing it was ‘not quite clear’ the message had been directed at Ms Braverman and that Davies ‘actually likes her’. Ms Lennon said her client had been replying to his friend, Benjamin Sillett, with whom he shares a ‘poor taste in humour’, and who, she claimed, has Arabic heritage.
“He says his Tweet was directed to his friend, not Ms Braverman,” Ms Lennon said, “Him and his friends have quite a poor taste in humour, but that’s how they connect on Twitter. He has pleaded guilty because he accepts others may come across the Tweet.”
Ms Lennon then shared an email from Mr Sillett, that said he was ‘not offended’, and a photo of him, to allow Judge Snow to ascertain his racial background. Mr Pellington gave a sigh as he looked at the photo, which was not shown to the court, but did not dispute Mr Sillett’s apparent Arabic heritage. Ms Lennon further argued the Tweet was ‘never intended to cause [Ms Braverman] any offence’.
Judge Snow, however, was having none of it, and he slammed Davies for his account. “The unlikely explanation I am being given here,” spat the judge, “is Suella Braverman puts up a Tweet. Mr Davies responds to that Tweet. Mr Sillett responds to that response. Then Mr Davies responds with his appalling response. And I am supposed to accept that it. It sounds like a load of rubbish.”
Ordering a pre sentence report ahead of a sentencing on June 12, Judge Snow added: “I’m afraid I am against all this. No jury would believe this, and I am not going to order a Newton hearing.” Davies was released on unconditional bail ahead of the next hearing.
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