A former Conservative councillor has been sentenced to 20 weeks in prison after being convicted of stalking the prominent MP and former cabinet minister, Dame Penny Mordaunt.
Court Hears of 'Creepy' Behaviour and Exhausting Fear
Edward Brandt, a 61-year-old divorced father-of-two from the Isle of Wight, was found guilty of the stalking offence in November at Southampton Crown Court. The court acquitted him of the more serious charge of stalking involving serious alarm or distress. In a powerful victim impact statement read to the court, Dame Penny described the profound effect of Brandt's campaign.
"I am completely exhausted due to the stress," the statement said. "Every time I step out of the building I am looking over my shoulder and checking to see if he is there. I am living in a constant fear of a confrontation." The prosecution told the court that Dame Penny believed Brandt posed a "real threat" and even feared "sexual violence" due to his persistently "creepy" behaviour.
A Pattern of Unwanted Contact
The trial detailed a sustained pattern of harassment between 11 September 2023 and 12 May 2024. Brandt sent at least 17 emails and three phone messages to the MP. He also turned up at her constituency office in Portsmouth outside of normal hours.
Despite being issued with a conditional caution in April 2024, which required him to complete a victim awareness course and cease all contact, Brandt failed to comply. On 6 and 10 May 2024, he left two voicemail messages for Dame Penny. In one, he stated: "I am going to go on gently knocking at your door in order to shake your hand, I am not giving up."
Legal Consequences and Protective Orders
Prior to his trial and subsequent imprisonment, the legal system had already moved to protect the MP. An interim stalking protection order was made against Brandt at Isle of Wight Magistrates' Court on 16 July 2024. Brandt, who had previously worked as a professional sailor, now begins his custodial sentence.
This case highlights the serious legal repercussions for stalking and the significant impact such offences have on the victims, even those in high-profile public roles. The court's decision to impose a custodial sentence underscores the gravity with which the justice system views breaches of protective orders and persistent, unwanted behaviour.
