Three in court accused of abusing Iain Duncan Smith and putting cone on his head in Manchester

Three people charged with verbally abusing former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith and putting a traffic cone on his head at the party conference appeared in court today (16 May).

Radical Haslam, 28, is accused of hurling foul mouthed expletives at the former Work and Pensions Secretary at the event in Manchester last October.

Ruth Wood, 50, from Cambridge, is said to have told the former Tory leader to ‘f*ck off out of Manchester’ and called him a ‘c***.’

Elliot Bovill, 31, is accused of assaulting the MP for Chingford and Woodford Green by putting a traffic cone on his head before running off. He denied one count of common assault.

Haslam, of Manchester, and Wood both denied one count of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour with intent to cause Mr Duncan Smith serious alarm, harassment or distress.

They had originally been charged with using threatening or abusive words or behaviour “with intent to cause fear of or provoke unlawful violence” but the charge was amended before today’s hearing.

Haslam, who has long hair and was dressed in a dark purple jacket and black trousers, Wood, who has purple hair and was dressed in a leather jacket and black top and trousers, and Bovill, dressed in a white shirt and black waistcoat, all appeared to plead separately to the charges.

Sudara Weerasena, prosecuting, told Westminster Magistrates Court that on 4 October last year Iain Duncan Smith left his hotel with his wife and friend and was followed by a group of protestors when the verbal abuse began.

Haslam’s lawyer Katrina Walcott said her client is expected to defend himself by saying he has a right to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. All three were bailed unconditionally.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring said Mr Duncan Smith will likely need to give live evidence to the trial.

He added: “I am not trying the politics of this at all.

“I am trying whether they have committed the criminality they are alleged to have committed.”

A further case management hearing, which the defendants do not need to attend, will take place on 13 June.

A full trial will take place in Manchester, likely at Manchester Magistrates Court, on a date which was not set.

The Chief Magistrate will travel to Manchester to preside over the trial.

(Proceeding)