A 28-year-old man has admitted throwing a coffee cup and another item at Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as he campaigned on his battle bus.
Josh Greally was arrested in the town centre in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, on Tuesday June 11 after he threw what looked like a paper cup containing a liquid, and another object, at Mr Farage.
Neither of the objects hit the politician, who was on the top deck of the bus.
Greally, of Damsbrook Drive, Clowne, Derbyshire, appeared before a district judge at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to a public order offence during the 10-minute hearing.
Judge Tim Spruce said it appeared that the first item thrown was a coffee cup but it was not clear what the second item was, and could have been another cup or some paper.
He asked for a pre-sentence report to be prepared and said Greally will be sentenced on August 28 at the same court.
Judge Spuce told the defendant: “All sentencing options are open.”
Shaven-headed Greally stood in the court wearing a pink shirt, black trousers and a black mask.
He did not answer questions from reporters as he left the court building shortly after admitting using threatening, abusive or insulting words and behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke unlawful violence.
Judge Spruce told him: “This matter remains serious. To your credit you are a young man who has never been in trouble before.”
Earlier, while talking to lawyers in the case, the judge said it was “a concern” that a politician was targeted.
Prosecutor Kirsty Pearson said the fact the incident happened during a General Election campaign makes it “much more serious”.
Ms Pearson and the judge discussed what the objects thrown were and agreed it was difficult to tell from mobile phone footage of the incident, which was not shown in court.
They agreed that at least one of the items made a noise as it hit the side of the bus.
Greally threw the object from a fenced-off construction workers’ area as the Reform UK campaign bus was parked in the town centre.
He was caught on video by a number of people as he was quickly arrested by police.
Mr Farage had been addressing supporters from the front of the top deck of the bus, but had been interrupted by a loud demonstration by people who opposed him.
The former MEP was standing at the top of the stairs of the open-top bus when he was alerted by a thud and ducked, along with a number of his supporters and journalists.
Later that day, Mr Farage described the incident as “pretty nasty” and what happened was condemned by politicians of all parties.
It came after Victoria Thomas Bowen, 25, was charged with assault by beating and criminal damage when a milkshake was thrown over Mr Farage as he left a pub in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.
Mr Farage was seen with the yellow drink splattered across his dark blue suit as he boarded his campaign bus.
Thomas Bowen is due to appear before Colchester Magistrates’ Court on July 2.
During a campaign walkabout in Newcastle in 2019, Mr Farage had a banana and salted caramel milkshake thrown at him.
