Clifford Wilby, 63, has been convicted of harassing Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy after confronting and filming her on a Victoria line train on 15 July. He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 10 rehabilitation days and pay £100. A five-year restraining order bars Wilby from contacting Ms Creasy. Creasy said the incident left her feeling powerless and anxious, and she praised the passengers who intervened.
Man Given Suspended Sentence After Harassing MP on Victoria Line
Clifford Wilby harassed Stella Creasy MP on a Victoria line train in July [PA Media]
A 63-year-old man has been given a suspended prison sentence after being convicted of harassing Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy on a Victoria line Tube train.
Clifford Wilby, from east London, was found guilty of harassment at Westminster Magistrates' Court for an incident on 15 July last year, when he approached Ms Creasy on the train between Walthamstow Central and Finsbury Park. Prosecutors said he spoke to her about knife crime and criticised her "failings as a Member of Parliament" before filming her, prompting passengers to intervene.
Court Outcome
The magistrates sentenced Wilby to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months. He must also complete 10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and pay a £100 fine. In addition, a five-year restraining order prohibits him from contacting Ms Creasy directly or indirectly.
Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy said she still finds herself feeling anxious, particularly when travelling alone on the Underground [BBC]
Victim Impact
"Being in an enclosed underground train carriage with someone who is angry and aggressive brings out every survival instinct," Ms Creasy said in a victim personal statement read to the court by her solicitor. "Being trapped within a moving train carriage left me feeling powerless."
She told the court the incident was not isolated but part of a broader pattern of behaviour, and that she still experiences anxiety—particularly when travelling alone on the Underground—and now deliberately sits close to the doors. She also said she feared for the safety of the people who intervened and believes it was their intervention that prevented the situation from escalating further.
Background And Defendant's Account
The court heard that Wilby and Ms Creasy had previously met during a Zoom meeting in 2024 related to her parliamentary duties; that meeting ended after Wilby raised a complaint about a constituent and made a series of serious allegations. On the Tube he recognised Ms Creasy, stood up and, she says, blocked her exit from the carriage before speaking loudly about his concerns.
Wilby denied using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour intended to cause harassment, alarm or distress. He told the court he had intended to discuss the constituent and that Ms Creasy became "quite agitated.” He said he began recording on his phone for his own protection. During sentencing he repeatedly shouted the word "liar" from the dock as the prosecution outlined the case.
The court’s sentence reflects both the distress caused to the victim and the need to deter similar public harassment, while the restraining order aims to protect Ms Creasy from further contact.
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