A former councillor and Conservative Party member has been sentenced to 20 weeks in prison for stalking former Cabinet minister Dame Penny Mordaunt.Edward Brandt, 61, was convicted at Southampton Crown Court of the stalking offence but cleared of a more serious charge involving severe alarm or distress.The professional sailor received a 12-week sentence for stalking the ex-MP, with an additional eight weeks to run consecutively for breaching a stalking protection order.Brandt committed seven violations of the order in December 2025 by failing to inform police about internet-capable devices and by setting up Facebook and Snapchat accounts. The protection order remains in effect until November 2034.
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The court heard that Brandt’s campaign of harassment took place between September 11, 2023 and May 12, 2024.During this period, he sent a minimum of 17 emails and three phone messages to Dame Penny.He also appeared at her Portsmouth North constituency office outside normal working hours in an attempt to meet her.The stalking began in autumn 2023 when Brandt requested a half-hour meeting over tea with the then-MP.His messages subsequently escalated, with emails arriving for Christmas, New Year and her birthday.In approximately ten of his communications, he expressed a desire to shake her hand, with one message describing it as “gold-plated and precious”.He also mentioned wanting to share a pint with the politician.Dame Penny, 52, described the profound toll the ordeal had taken on her in a victim impact statement read to the court.LATEST DEVELOPMENTSAfghan national charged with sexual assault of child in Greater ManchesterPolice fork out £15,000 for private jet to bring influencer home to face justiceBritain’s ‘biggest fare dodger’ admits £18,000 of unpaid train journeys”I am completely exhausted due to the stress, every time I step out of the building I am looking over my shoulder and checking to see if he is there,” she said. “I am living in a constant fear of a confrontation.”The former Leader of the House of Commons broke down in tears while giving evidence, telling the court that Brandt’s conduct had left her and her staff “drained”.She stated that she “feared sexual violence” as a result of his “creepy” behaviour, believing he was attempting to establish a “personal relationship” rather than seeking a constituency surgery appointment.Dame Penny told the court that while she initially found his emails unsettling, “real alarm bells didn’t go off until he came to my office”.In December 2023, Brandt visited her constituency premises when the office was closed and attempted to leap over the barriers, setting off alarms and prompting security staff to pursue him.The incident forced her office to enhance its security measures, including fitting a panic alarm.One of his messages referenced her home address, which Dame Penny said alarmed her as it showed he “didn’t seem to have any boundaries”.Following his arrest in March 2024, Brandt was cautioned not to contact her but subsequently left a voicemail calling her a “pretty blonde” and sent another message stating: “I am just going to keep knocking on your door until you open it and let me shake your hand.”Our Standards:
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