A comedian who threw a foam pie into the face of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch was jailed for six weeks yesterday.
Jonathan May-Bowles, 26, attacked the 80-year-old chief executive and chairman of News Corporation as he gave evidence to MPs about the hacking scandal that has engulfed his company, calling him a ‘naughty billionaire’.
May-Bowles – also known as Jonnie Marbles – from Windsor, Berkshire, was ordered to pay £250 costs at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court, and a £15 victim surcharge.
The part-time stand-up comic claimed to be following a century-old tradition of harmless slapstick protest against powerful figures.
But a judge condemned him for interrupting the ‘dignity’ of Parliamentary proceedings that were of ‘huge importance’.
Passing sentence at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London, district judge Daphne Wickham said May-Bowles would serve three weeks in prison.
She said: ‘This is a parliamentary process, which as you know conducts itself with dignity and in a civilised fashion,’ she said.
‘Everybody else in the room expected that, with one exception – you.
‘You attended those proceedings with only one intention, to disrupt them.’
The judge said she took into account the fear of injury felt by Mr Murdoch, who could not have known what was in the foam pie.
Wearing a checked lumberjack shirt and black jeans, May-Bowles stood in the dock without reacting as sentence was passed.
May-Bowles had admitted the offence and pleaded guilty to two charges.
During his hearings, Rav Chodha, prosecuting, said that, on July 19, May-Bowles made his way through the Wilson room in Portcullis House to attack the News Corporation boss and used threatening, abusive or insulting words and behaviour.
Supported in court by a group of friends, he said he would appeal against the six week sentence.
In a statement read to the court by prosecutor Malachy Pakenham, Mr Murdoch said: ‘I was approached by an unknown male who assaulted me by throwing a paper plate with shaving foam on it at me. The shaving foam made contact with my face and clothing.’
According to one witness sitting behind Mr Murdoch, the May-Bowles ‘appeared to be paying very little attention to the questions and answers – at times his eyes were closed and he appeared to be dozing.’
But, as the hearing was about to end at about 5pm, the comedian ‘got up very suddenly’ reached into a black carrier bag, pulled out a paper plate and thrust it into Mr Murdoch’s face.
May-Bowles told police he had smuggled in the plate and shaving foam wrapped in an old shirt, which he then dumped.
He was arrested and taken to Charing Cross Police Station, where he refused to answer questions from officers.
Tim Greaves, defending, said May-Bowles would appeal against the ‘excessive’ sentence saying the comedian had been protesting against the Murdoch-owned News International organisation.
He added: ‘He sought to make a statement by his actions that day and he certainly didn’t seek to cause any harassment, alarm or distress to those people in that room.
‘It is also important to identify that Mr Murdoch has not supported these prosecutions.
‘The act itself was combined with what was meant as a cheeky comment by Mr May-Bowles, when he said “naughty billionaire”.
Judge Wickham said: ‘This was a parliamentary process which conducts itself with dignity and in a civilized fashion and the victim would have expected that civilized approach and dignity.
‘Everyone else in the room respected that with only one exception. You attended with only one objective in mind – to disrupt the proceedings and hold the victim to account.
‘No-one save you would have known what the ingredients of that plate were and I have taken into account that fear of what physical injury could have been caused.’
DailyMail.co.uk
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