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Psychiatric assessment for election candidate who called for new death camps
Sentence adjourned for case involving Barbara Fielding-Morriss, accused of stirring up racial hatred online
Sentence has been adjourned on a by-election candidate convicted of inciting anti-Semitic hatred after a court heard she may be suffering from a delusional disorder.
A judge at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court ordered Barbara Fielding-Morriss – who used a blog to praise Adolf Hitler and call for new death camps – to co-operate with a psychiatrist or face arrest.
Fielding-Morriss, 79, who stood as a candidate in last year’s Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election and the 2017 general election, was convicted in June of three offences of stirring up racial hatred.
She had been expected to be sentenced on Friday but Recorder Julian Taylor adjourned the case after hearing that concerns had been raised by a community psychiatric nurse.
Fielding-Morriss, of Draycott, Staffordshire, told the court that she did not need a barrister and wished to represent herself at the next hearing.
Granting Fielding-Morriss conditional bail until October 5, Recorder Taylor told the pensioner: “Some of the blogs were extremely offensive, so all options are open – a custodial sentence is clearly one of them.
“I am going to adjourn this matter for a psychiatric report because that is what I have been informed is required.
“If you don’t co-operate I will issue a bench warrant and that will lead to your arrest and possible remand in custody.”
The independent candidate, who polled 137 by-election votes (0.6%) and received 210 votes (also 0.6%) at the general election, was found guilty on Thursday of three counts of stirring up racial hatred between September 2016 and February last year.
As well as referring to Hitler as clever and brilliant, Fielding-Morriss also used her campaign website to liken immigrants and Jews to termites.
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