A man who previously served as a councillor has been sentenced to 20 weeks in jail for stalking Dame Penny Mordaunt, a former Conservative leadership candidate. Edward Brandt, 61, was convicted at Southampton Crown Court for repeatedly contacting Dame Penny through emails and phone messages, as well as showing up at her office outside of working hours. Although Brandt was cleared of a more severe charge related to causing serious distress, Dame Penny expressed feeling threatened by potential sexual violence due to his unsettling behavior.
Additionally, Brandt, a divorced father of two and professional sailor, received a separate sentence for breaching a stalking protection order multiple times. These breaches involved his failure to inform the authorities about internet-capable devices and the creation of social media accounts, leading to a total of 20 weeks in prison for his offenses.
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