What Happened When a Man Harassed an MP on the Tube
A 63-year-old man from east London has been found guilty of harassing Labour MP Stella Creasy on a London Underground train in July 2025. The judge, deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram, delivered the verdict at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 11 August 2026. Clifford Wilby was convicted of using threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm, or distress. His sentencing was postponed to 8 September so that reports could be prepared. The Guardian
The incident happened on 15 July 2025. Wilby blocked Creasy from leaving the train carriage. He talked about knife crime and what he called her "failings as a member of parliament," and he filmed her on his phone. Other passengers stepped in, placing themselves between Wilby and the 49-year-old MP for Walthamstow. Creasy was then able to leave the train at Finsbury Park through a different door further along the carriage.
The prosecution, led by Sarah Madden, showed that this was not the first contact between the two. Wilby and Creasy had first met during a Zoom call in 2024, in Creasy's role as an MP. That meeting was cut short because of Wilby's behaviour. Creasy told the court that during the call, Wilby made serious accusations, became abusive, and said he had been diagnosed as a psychopath. Wilby denied saying this. Tess McCarthy represented the defence.
Creasy gave her evidence at trial from behind a screen. Courts use this measure when there are concerns about a witness's safety or wellbeing.
The broader context here is a wider worry about the safety of MPs in public. There has been growing concern in Parliament and among police about people who threaten or intimidate politicians, especially after high-profile attacks on MPs in recent years. This case involved someone who had already had a previous meeting with Creasy cut short and then went on to physically block her on a train, the kind of escalation that security teams watch for.
The case also shows how the law works in situations like this. Wilby was convicted under a public order law, which covers a single incident where someone uses threatening or abusive behaviour that causes alarm or distress. This is different from harassment laws, which require showing a repeated pattern of behaviour over time. Think of it as the difference between one serious incident and an ongoing campaign.
The passengers who stepped in deserve attention. They physically placed themselves between Wilby and Creasy, giving her the chance to leave the carriage at Finsbury Park. Courts often consider the impact on victims and the role of bystanders when deciding sentences, though it is not yet clear how this will affect the sentencing on 8 September.
Wilby remains free until his sentencing.
