Portsmouth MP left 'disturbed and intimidated' by 'very angry' asylum seeker who stalked him

Shadow minister Stephen Morgan told magistrates he feared for his safety after Yaser Ahmed 'loitered' outside his constituency office every day for a week and 'watched his movements'.

It was heard the 41 year old Egyptian - who uses a wheelchair - had been enraged by staff at the Portsmouth South MP's office telling him they couldn't do anything more to help advance his asylum application.

But his constant presence and 'aggressive' grunting left the Labour MP and his female staff scared and 'on edge', the court heard. Mr Morgan, 43, had to take time out of his General Election campaign on Tuesday to take part in his stalker's trial at the city's magistrates.

Giving evidence, the Shadow Minister for Rail hinted that attacks on MPs like Jo Cox and David Amess led him to be fearful of Ahmed's 'continued presence' outside his office. His female staff also told the court they felt 'very concerned' coming into work and scared to lock up at night on their own.

Ahmed - who ignored staff pleas to stop coming to the Albert Road office and even ignored a police officer's warning - could face jail when he is sentenced for stalking.

The court heard Ahmed came to the UK in 2017 and visited the office several times in 2022 for help with his asylum application. The court heard staff endeavoured to help across the meetings - despite Ahmed speaking barely any English - but were limited under MP guidelines.

Ahmed referred to Mr Morgan as 'The General' and 'Big Man', the court heard. Staff signposted him to Citizens Advice and repeatedly advised him to see a solicitor but they could not act on his behalf.

In December 2022, staff told him they could not help him anymore and told him not to attend the office after he became 'very angry'. He returned in May 2023 but was told the same.

Then, he spent every day 'parked up' in his wheelchair outside the office from October 30 to November 6 in 2023. He was living under a shop front a few doors down.

Mr Morgan said he was 'disturbed' on three dates during that period when he left his office - the first of which Ahmed "aggressively grunted and tapped his head to try to get my attention."

He said: "On all occasions that weekend I was struck by him trying to get eye contact with me and him following my movements with his eyes.

"I live in close proximity to the office and found his behaviour harassing. He was following my movements with his eyes, and that caused me concern.

"Recognising that previously he had been rude it felt like intimidation to me. It was a concern that he would be outside my office at times when he may have assumed I would be leaving and arriving.

"I was trying to avoid making eye contact and I was disturbed by the frequency at which he was sitting outside my office. I jumped into a car opposite the office and I saw him following my movements, as if he was watching to see where I was going.

"I felt very uncomfortable. The persistence of him sitting outside on separate occasions after already being warned by police not to do so caused me concern."

In cross-examination, defending lawyer Mark Kessler put it to Mr Morgan that he was 'over-exaggerating' the incidents. But the politician said previous attacks on his peers made him nervous.

Mr Morgan said: "I don't want to be here, to be honest. But there is sometimes behaviour that oversteps the mark and this defendant was intimidating in my view.

"Someone watching where you are going, with their glare, and watching your movements outside your work have quite an unpleasant affect. I take extremely seriously the safety of my staff in light of what happened to my parliamentary colleagues in the past. I felt intimidated by it.

"The advice I've always had is that if you are concerned, then call the police."

A female staff member told the court she called the police five days into Ahmed sitting outside the office, under instruction from Mr Morgan. She said: "The way [Ahmed] was facing he could see all the comings and goings from the office. He just sat there.

"On the Friday morning I contacted police. His continued presence was very concerning, especially with [an] incident on Wednesday night when my colleague left the office.

"I didn't see him move about much in his wheelchair, he seemed to be fairly static. When I walked into the office he would watch me but didn't talk to me."

She said it 'put her on edge', adding: "It did concern me that he was sat outside the office every single day for no reason."

The said she dealt with Ahmed during his meetings in the office previously, and that he had been 'friendly' but became 'angry' when she made it clear there was nothing more they could do.

Another female member of staff said following an evening event at the office, she asked two friends to stay with her while she locked up and walked to her car because she was worried.

Ahmed was warned on Friday November 3 in 2023 by a police officer that his presence was not wanted and to move on, however he didn't. He was later arrested. He denied one count of stalking but was convicted.

Through an Arabic interpreter, he told the court: "I wanted him to write a note for me, something to take to the place they told me to go to.

"Why would I harass him? I want him to help me.

"What's the benefit of doing that? I'm in a wheelchair, part of my leg is removed, you can consider it as amputated really."

"I went to him so he could help me, not to intimidate."

Deputy Senior District Judge Tanweer Ikram found that Ahmed did not intend to harass Mr Morgan but 'ought to have known' he was disturbing him.

He said: "I don't doubt that you need help, I see the state of you now, but they could not do anything for you.

"They could not deal with your immigration status, they signposted you to Citizens Advice Bureau and suggested you see an solicitor.

"I don't for one minute think that you went out of your way to harass the MP, however the definition of the offence does not require that.

"On three occasions you loitered near the constituency office.

"I've heard from Mr Morgan of the impact upon him of seeing you... He gave evidence that he felt intimidated by seeing you.

"The police officer told you not to go back, the staff at the office told you there was nothing more they could do.

"Looking at this objectively you ought to have known that going back there and seeking to attract their attention, which was your motive, amounted to the harassment of this MP."

Ahmed, now living in Liverpool, will be sentenced at a later date.

It was also heard during the breaks in visits to the MP's office, Ahmed was in an NHS hospital with his leg issues.