A 25-year-old man has been jailed after sending a death threat to a councillor involved in the controversial decision to shut down superclub Fabric.
Sebastian Clark-Darby, of Linford Avenue, Milton Keynes, was jailed for eight months after sending a malicious message to Flora Williamson, chair of Islington council's licensing committee.
The council announced its decision to revoke the licence of the Farringdon nightclub on September 7 after finding it had a "culture of drug use" which staff were "incapable of controlling".
Clark-Darby, who worked in the IT sector at the time, admitted emailing Ms Williamson just hours after the decision during a hearing at Highbury Magistrates' Court on September 23.
In the message, entitled "Closure of Fabric", he wrote: "Please note you have received official death threat."
In a victim statement, read to Blackfriars Crown Court by prosecutor Patricia Deighan, Ms Williamson said: "After this email, I am much more worried I am not safe and concerned this will affect the way I carry out duties as a councillor."
Sentencing, Judge Daniel Worsley QC said the courts "will not tolerate" threats to public figures, adding that they "undermine the whole system of democracy".
He said: "Councillors, other elected representatives and employees of public bodies carry out their public duties for the public good.
"They have to balance competing interests in the community's best interests. It's a difficult job and one undertaken by many, and very often by councillors, with scant reward.
"The courts will not tolerate threats to them. Any such threats or interference with their proper judgment undermine the whole system of democracy."
He added that malicious messages were "grossly unnerving" for recipients such as Ms Williamson.
In October last year Clark-Darby had been given a 12-month suspended sentence after being convicted of three counts of possessing Class A drugs with the intent to supply and one count of supplying the drugs.
He was sentenced to four months' imprisonment for breaching the suspended sentence and four months for sending the threatening message to Ms Williamson by Judge Worsley, who acknowledged the message was "not at all pre-mediated" or "sophisticated".
Defence lawyer Shauna Ritchie said her client realised he had committed an act of "extreme stupidity" and felt regret for his actions.
The closure of Fabric was met with fierce criticism by both politicians and figures from the world of music, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan and British DJ Goldie.
The club is expected to appeal the decision at Highbury Magistrates' Court next month.
Additional reporting by the Press Association
