The former Labour MP Eric Joyce, who was convicted of assaulting four people in a House of Commons bar, has been fined after removing an electronic tag imposed as part of his punishment.
Joyce admitted using scissors to cut off the tag in order to avoid negative publicity pictures during a charity parliamentary boat race on 4 July. Fining the Falkirk MP £600 at Stirling crown court on Tuesday, Sheriff John Halley said: "You are recorded as saying that you cut it off to stop your photograph being taken for the charity event. It's not for you or any other person under a court order to decide to refuse to comply with the court order."
Joyce, who was stripped of the Labour whip after the assault in February, triggered an electronic buzzer when he cut through the tag and was contacted by the security firm, Serco. His lawyer Dick Sandeman argued that the bulky nature of the tag would make it difficult for Joyce to row and he was conscious of the media attention it would bring. The 51-year-old MP said afterwards: "It's quite a stiff penalty but I'm an MP and it's perhaps an attempt to persuade others not to do the same. The event was very high profile and for charity. I didn't want to overshadow the charity's work. If I turned up wearing my tag, that's what all the papers' focus would be on. Me and not the charity. I didn't feel that was fair. I made the decision to cut it off. If I'd known it was a breach, I wouldn't have done it. We didn't even win in the end. We should have, though."
Joyce was ordered to pay a total of £4,400 and observe a weekend curfew after he pleaded guilty to the assault on 22 February, in which a Conservative MP was headbutted and punched. The former soldier attacked Stuart Andrew shortly before closing time at the Strangers' bar, which is open to MPs and their guests. He also assaulted the Tory councillors Luke Mackenzie and Ben Maney before turning on the Labour whip Phillip Wilson. The court heard that he told police: "You can't touch me, I'm an MP."
