Jagjivan Ram, 65, said he could not remember the content of the messages he sent to the twice former Home Secretary
A businessman has admitted sending ‘grossly offensive’ emails to former Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
Jagjivan Ram apologised for his actions to Birmingham Magistrates’ Court but said he could not remember them.
The 65-year-old, from Waste Lane, Balsall Common, Solihull, pleaded guilty to two charges of sending communication or an article of indecent or offensive nature.
READ MORE: Secret to getting the best of BirminghamLive’s stories
One offence concerned an email sent on June 10, 2024 and the other to an email sent on June 28 of the same year.
Ms Braverman, twice Home Secretary in 2022 and 2023, was then a Conservative MP. She now represents Reform UK in the Fareham and Waterlooville constituency in Hampshire.
Both charges stated the emails were of an ‘indecent or grossly offensive nature for the purpose of causing distress or anxiety’.
But the exact content was not disclosed to the hearing, held on Wednesday, February 18.
Ram, who was wearing a surgical mask, accepted the messages were sent from his email address but said he was ‘not aware of the context’ while sending them.
Breaking court news straight to your WhatsApp
BirminghamLive readers will get the latest from court through our WhatsApp community.
All you have to do is click this link and select ‘Join Chat’ and you are in.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like by selecting ‘exit group’.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN
District Judge David Wain described it as an ‘unusual case’ and told him: “In essence you have no recollection of sending it but you would have sent it and sent it with intent.”
Ram replied: “I would be sorry if I knew what was in that email message, I would be 1,000 per cent…. From a moral perspective that’s not me.”
Ed Ball, defending, said: “He has a fogginess in relation to what was sent due to medication.”
According to Companies House Ram has been the director of a number of businesses in the last 20 years.
He told the court he had created tens of thousands of jobs in the UK and around the world but said ‘that’s my career gone’ as result of the conviction.
Judge Wain adjourned sentencing until April 22 for a probation report to be completed.
Ram was granted bail with conditions not to contact Ms Braverman.
Source link