A man has been charged with stalking Sir Ed Davey and for the possession of a flick knife after an alleged campaign of harassment against the Liberal Democrats leader.
Inigo Rowland, 58, of Surbiton, south London, near to where Sir Ed lives with his wife and children, was arrested last week after reportedly being found carrying a blade by officers.
The MP for Kingston and Surbiton, 59, is thought to have called police himself after enduring months of the tormenting campaign which saw the man approach him and his family directly, according to The Sun.
The outlet say a man, aged 58, had turned up at Sir Ed’s family home as well as his constituency office after becoming obsessed with him. He is alleged to have been found with a knife when police swooped on him last week.
After his arrest, a source close to the Lib Dem leader told the newspaper they were ‘massively relieved’, adding that it had been a ‘traumatic ordeal for Sir Ed and his family’.
They said: ‘The man seems to have got fixated. They are pleased police acted when they did.
‘This is normally the sort of thing that happens to celebrities and pop stars. They just hope it is all over and they can move on with their lives.’
Rowland was brought before Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody after the alleged offences which are believed to have taken place between June and October this year.
A man has been charged with stalking and possession of a flick knife after an alleged campaign of harassment towards Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey (above)
He will appear before the same court this Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: ‘Inigo Rowland, 58, of Surbiton has been charged with stalking and possession of a flick knife.
‘He appeared at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 7 October and was remanded into custody. He will next appear at the same court on Tuesday, 14 October.
‘He was arrested on Monday, 6 October in relation to the offences, which are alleged to have taken place between June and October.’
A Lib Dem spokesperson added: ‘We cannot provide any details at this time, Ed’s number one priority is the safety of his family.’
Sir Ed lives in southwest London with his wife, Emily, who suffers with multiple sclerosis, his severely disabled son John, 17, and his daughter, Ellie.
The Lib Dem leader has openly spoken about his fears for his children’s welfare in the past, particularly about John who requires round-the-clock care.
He told the Daily Mail previously: ‘My biggest thing with my son is: when I’m not here, who is going to look after him?’
