Man who admitted threats to Bishop Auckland MP seeks to change pleas

Bishop Auckland: So, there’s this guy, Benjamin Clarke, 31, who showed up at Durham Crown Court. He was supposed to be sentenced for making some pretty serious threats against MP Sam Rushworth. He had already admitted to those charges last month, but now he wants to change his pleas.

His lawyer, Chris Baker, mentioned in court that Clarke is looking to vacate those pleas. The judge, Recorder Mark Giuliani, decided to put the case on hold until next month to sort things out.

Clarke, who lives on Durham Street in Bishop Auckland, is out on bail. But there’s a catch—he can’t post anything about Mr. Rushworth on social media. If he does, he risks getting arrested again and possibly ending up in custody.

Back in August, Clarke had reached out to Rushworth on social media, right after the MP was elected in July. He made a threatening comment, saying he couldn’t wait for the MP’s next public appearance and that Rushworth would be lucky to leave it in one piece.

The court heard that Rushworth blocked Clarke on social media to stop any further threats. In a previous session, it was revealed that Clarke had some pretty violent thoughts. He told mental health professionals he wanted to find Rushworth and do some serious harm.

The judge reminded Clarke about his bail conditions as he left the court. It’s a serious situation, and it looks like things are just getting started for him in the legal system.