Stalking Verdict for Former MP
A man has been found guilty of stalking the former MP for Portsmouth North, Dame Penny Mordaunt. Edward Brandt, 61, was convicted at Southampton Crown Court after a trial heard how he sent 17 emails and made three phone calls before appearing at her office outside of working hours.
Brandt was described as being 'fixated' on the former cabinet minister. In one message to her, he vowed to 'go on gently knocking' on her door to 'shake her hand'. The court found him guilty of stalking but acquitted him of the more serious charge of stalking involving serious alarm or distress.
Impact on the Former MP
In a powerful statement to police, Dame Penny revealed that Brandt's 'creepy' behaviour made her fear sexual violence and that she considered him a 'real threat'. She contrasted this experience with other threats she had faced during her 14-year parliamentary career.
'The difference between this case and even threats to shoot me and my family, they are easier to deal with because that threat is not constantly present,' she stated. 'It's not something you are having to think about every single day when you are leaving your house.'
The ex-cabinet minister told the court that while Brandt may have believed he was being 'chivalrous and gentlemanly', his actions were in fact 'obsessive and creepy'.
Pattern of Unwanted Contact
The court heard that Brandt had previously failed to comply with a conditional caution issued in April 2024. This required him to complete a victim awareness course and to cease all contact with Dame Penny.
Despite this, he left two voicemail messages for her over four days in May 2024. In one, he reiterated his intent: 'I am going to go on gently knocking at your door in order to shake your hand, I am not giving up.'
In response to the persistent attention, Dame Penny's office was forced to increase its security measures, which included the installation of a panic button. Her office manager, Gemma Fleetwood, testified that the experience had left the politician 'more guarded' and anxious about public appearances.
The Defence and Sentencing
Brandt, a divorced father-of-two from Lymington, Hampshire, denied intending to cause harm or distress. He explained that his actions were driven by his passion for politics and a desire to congratulate Dame Penny on her role in the King's Coronation and commiserate with her for not becoming Tory leader.
'It was entirely political and entirely harmless,' he told the court, adding that he had met several Conservative leaders in the past. Brandt, who has been diagnosed with ADHD and being on the autistic spectrum, suggested the former MP had 'flattered herself' and denied any sexual content in his messages.
Edward Brandt is due to be sentenced at a later date.
