The key facts
- Michael Glover, 59, pleaded guilty to stalking MP Henry Tufnell and possessing an axe in a pub in March 2026
- The judge cited 'frustration' over a delay in processing a parking permit and deteriorating mental health as the motive
- Sentence: 6 months' imprisonment suspended for 12 months, a five-year restraining order and payment of £154
Incident in March
According to BBC Wales, on 10 March Michael Glover left a signed note on the door of the Haverfordwest office of Labour MP Henry Tufnell (Mid and South Pembrokeshire). In the letter he wrote that he had 'scouted out' Tufnell's family home and 'left gifts'. CCTV captured Glover sticking an envelope with the letter to the office door, making gestures at the camera and driving away. The next day, 11 March, he brought an axe in a plastic bag to a local pub and picked it up in front of a customer. He was arrested the same day; later he pleaded guilty to both charges at magistrates' court.
The MP's words
In a victim statement read out by prosecutor Regan Walters, Tufnell said he felt 'uneasy' knowing that Glover knew where he lived with his wife and newborn baby. He said he had to review the security of his address, monitor the operation of panic alarms and cameras, and that on work trips he 'feels nervous wondering whether his family is safe'.
Defence and court arguments
Defence solicitor Joseph Hawkward said the client — a wheelchair user with 'complex mental health problems' — had spent the last four months in custody for breaching probation conditions, which had been 'extremely hard' for him. The court in Swansea heard that the motive was 'frustration' over a delay in obtaining a blue badge (parking permit). Glover took part in the hearing by video link due to a 'technical fault' with the lift in the court building.
Sentence
Judge Mark Powell KC said that MPs are 'charged with championing the interests of their constituents' and are entitled to work free of threats and harassment — 'regardless of whether they are English or not'. He noted that brandishing an axe in a public place would have been 'extremely frightening for those around', but the defendant 'did not intend to harm anyone'. The judge found the offence was driven by frustration and deteriorating mental health, and that Glover had shown remorse. He sentenced him to six months' imprisonment suspended for 12 months, imposed a five-year restraining order and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £154.
Image source, PA Media Henry Tufnell MP says he now worries about his family when he works away, following the incident
