A man who threw a coffee cup at Reform UK leader Nigel Farage on his battle bus during the General Election campaign has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Josh Greally, 28, was sentenced to six weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, after a district judge said the offence was serious enough to merit a jail term, but there was a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation”.
Greally, who wore a black face mask throughout the hearing, pleaded guilty to a public order offence over the incident on June 11 in Barnsley town centre, where he launched an object at Mr Farage, who was making a speech from the open top deck of his bus.
Barnsley Magistrates’ Court heard Greally then reached into a bin and took out another object, which he also threw towards the bus.
Neither of the objects hit the Mr Farage, who was elected MP for Clacton.
The court heard Greally then ran away despite members of the public attempting to apprehend him, but was chased and found by police a short time later.
He had travelled to the event as part of a group and played a “prominent role”, a judge said.
At an earlier hearing, Greally admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words and behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke unlawful violence. The maximum sentence for the offence is six months in custody.
District Judge James Gould said Greally’s target had been a politician campaigning “in our democratic country”.
He told the defendant: “Politicians know they will face robust opposition, but that must never spill over into violence or intimidation.
“That is not the pursuit of free speech, it is an attempt to silence voices of opposition.”
In mitigation, the court heard Greally, who has no previous convictions, had attended protests before but “this seems to be the first time he has stepped over the line and found himself in trouble with the authorities”.
The court heard he currently worked in a bar but had a Master’s degree and an interest in film and television, and writes reviews for a website.
In a character reference submitted to the judge, a former lecturer described Greally as “compassionate and caring”.
In addition to the suspended sentence, Greally, of Damsbrook Drive, Clowne, Derbyshire, was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work, 20 rehabilitation activity days and pay £85 court costs and a surcharge of £154.
Mr Farage responded to the sentencing by saying Greally had been allowed to “walk free” following the “very dangerous, provocative, violent” incident.
In a video posted on social media site X, former Twitter, the MP added: “Today he’s been given a suspended prison sentence. He will not serve any custodial time at all.
“But you see, in Keir Starmer’s Britain, if you put something intemperate on Facebook after a couple of glasses of wine, he would have gone to prison. And that’s the mess we’re in.”
Mr Farage went on to call for more prisons to be built.
