Psychiatric assessment for election candidate who called for new death camps
Sentence adjourned for case involving Barbara Fielding-Morriss, accused of stirring up racial hatred online
Sentence has been adjourned on a by-election candidate convicted of inciting anti-Semitic hatred after a court heard she may be suffering from a delusional disorder.
A judge at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court ordered Barbara Fielding-Morriss – who used a blog to praise Adolf Hitler and call for new death camps – to co-operate with a psychiatrist or face arrest.
Fielding-Morriss, 79, who stood as a candidate in last year’s Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election and the 2017 general election, was convicted in June of three offences of stirring up racial hatred.
She had been expected to be sentenced on Friday but Recorder Julian Taylor adjourned the case after hearing that concerns had been raised by a community psychiatric nurse.
Fielding-Morriss, of Draycott, Staffordshire, told the court that she did not need a barrister and wished to represent herself at the next hearing.
Granting Fielding-Morriss conditional bail until October 5, Recorder Taylor told the pensioner: “Some of the blogs were extremely offensive, so all options are open – a custodial sentence is clearly one of them.
“I am going to adjourn this matter for a psychiatric report because that is what I have been informed is required.
“If you don’t co-operate I will issue a bench warrant and that will lead to your arrest and possible remand in custody.”
The independent candidate, who polled 137 by-election votes (0.6%) and received 210 votes (also 0.6%) at the general election, was found guilty on Thursday of three counts of stirring up racial hatred between September 2016 and February last year.
As well as referring to Hitler as clever and brilliant, Fielding-Morriss also used her campaign website to liken immigrants and Jews to termites.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
