MPs are "real people with real families"
A Birmingham man who sent racist and threatening emails to Suella Braverman received a suspended sentence despite a judge saying he would likely have been jailed if the case had been heard sooner.
Jagjivan Ram, of Balsall Common, near Solihull, admitted sending two offensive emails to the former Home Secretary during the summer of 2024.
One message included a reference to lynching, leaving Braverman “very upset and disturbed.”
Appearing at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on August 4, 2026, Ram was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, after pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity.
District Judge David Wain said the 18-month delay in bringing the case before the court had significantly affected the sentence.
He told Ram that had the case reached court in 2024, he would likely have received an immediate custodial sentence.
The court heard that Ram, formerly a businessman and now unemployed, sent two emails containing racist slurs, threatening language and sexual references directed at Braverman.
In one email, he said she “destroyed what benefits Asians have done for the country.”
Another email included numerous racial slurs.
During the hearing, Ram claimed he could not remember writing the emails.
A report presented to the court stated Ram had been suffering from poor health at the time.
It also suggested depressive symptoms and the side effects of antibiotics may have contributed to his offending behaviour.
Judge Wain acknowledged Ram’s health difficulties but stressed they did not excuse his actions.
Addressing the defendant, he said MPs are “real people with real families” rather than simply public figures seen on television.
The judge also noted that Braverman chose not to submit a specific victim personal statement, despite the distress caused by the messages.
In addition to the suspended sentence, Ram was also placed on electronic tag for 12 weeks and ordered to pay £239.
He was also given a five-year restraining order preventing any direct or indirect contact with Braverman.
The court heard Ram has no previous criminal convictions and is facing severe financial hardship after recent surgery.
He has reportedly applied for benefits while recovering and remains unemployed.
Defence solicitor Ed Ball said Ram had previously created thousands of jobs in the UK and overseas.
He told the court his client was “thoroughly ashamed” and had little recollection of the offences because of his health at the time.
Suella Braverman, now Reform UK’s education, skills and equalities spokeswoman, defected from the Conservative Party to Reform UK in January 2026.
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