Viscount jailed for offering someone £5,000 to run over Gina Miller 'assaulted in prison'
AN ARISTOCRAT who was jailed for threatening anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller claimed he was attacked in prison a day before being released pending his appeal hearing.
Rhodri Philipps, the 4th Viscount St Davids, branded Ms Miller a “hideous jumped up immigrant” and a “f***ing boat jumper” in a series of vile Facebook posts.
And he even offered a £5,000 bounty for someone to run over Ms Miller, while also declaring immigrants should “go back to their stinking jungles”.
The 50-year-old was found guilty of posting menacing messages to the Brexit challenger between September 11 and November 7 last year.
He has now revealed he is appealing his conviction after being jailed for 12 weeks last Thursday - and this morning was granted bail after a brief appearance via video-link at Southwark Crown Court.
However during a hearing yesterday, the Viscount also claimed he had been assaulted by another inmate in Wandsworth Prison, which left him feeling “slightly dazed”.
Speaking via videolink wearing a prison issue tracksuit, Lord St Davids, as he was referred to in court, said: "I would like to say I have been assaulted in the last 20 minutes while waiting for this rather unexpected hearing, so I am not feeling quite myself.
"All I will say is I wish to be represented as I was on the previous occasion."
Rhodri Philipps sentenced to 12 weeks in prison
I would like to say I have been assaulted in the last 20 minutes while waiting for this rather unexpected hearing, so I am not feeling quite myself.
He said his legal aid came through just days before the trial and was all "too little, too late"
When asked by the judge if he was okay to continue with the hearing following the assault, he said: "It was a minor assault just in the waiting room just now.
"It was unexpected. There's no significant injury. Just feeling slightly dazed, that's all. To be perfectly frank I don't know what we are discussing."
Judge Michael Grieve QC agreed and adjourned the bail application until this morning, where he was told he would be freed from custody later today.
But the judge also warned the defendant that pursuing an appeal could lead to a longer sentence.
The appeal hearing has been set for Thursday and Friday this week and may be heard at either Southwark Crown Court or Snaresbrook Crown Court.
The comments from Philipps on November 7 were written just four days after Ms Miller won a landmark High Court challenge over the Government's bid to trigger Article 50 with a vote in Parliament.
He wrote: "£5,000 for the first person to 'accidentally' run over this bloody troublesome first generation immigrant.
"If this is what we should expect from immigrants, send them back to their stinking jungles."
Philipps, previously of Knightsbridge, will appear at Southwark Crown Court tomorrow morning at 9.30am.