Doctor Denies Stalking Labour MP Emily Thornberry

Dr Suzanne Lucey

A former Metropolitan Police doctor, accused of stalking MP Emily Thornberry, was arrested after travelling to the Labour Party’s Liverpool conference, a court heard yesterday.

Dr Suzanne Lucey, 55, an occupational health physician, is charged with stalking, involving serious harm or distress - the most serious version of the offence.

Today, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court Dr Lucey, of Owen Street, Angel, Islington, appeared on bail and denied the charge.

She is accused of stalking the MP between June 1, last year and October 24, this year in the City of Westminster.

This was by sending emails and making aggressive outbursts, causing mother-of-three Thornberry, 64, serious alarm or distress, which knowingly had an adverse effect on her day-to-day activities.

Thornberry has been the MP for Islington South and Finsbury since 2005 and Dr Lucey’s home is within the constituency.

Dr Lucey is currently complaining of harassment from the Met. 

Prosecutor Ben Holt told the court: “In this case Dr Lucey has stalked the Labour MP Emily Thornberry since the summer of 2023.

“This involved sending emails, turning up at the MP’s place of work and making violent outbursts, culminating in attending Liverpool’s Labour conference, which Ms Thornberry was attending.

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“This defendant attended a number of constituency meetings run by Emily Thornberry as part of her duties and attended appointments to discuss matters of concern to her.

“She asked for face-to-face meeting and sometimes the were not able to go ahead due to Ms Thornberry’s other commitments, resulting in a number of outbursts from this defendant.

“She attended further constituency meetings and travelled to Liverpool, where Emily Thornberry was attending the Labour conference in September and that resulted in her arrest.”

The case was specifically listed before the Chief Magistrates, Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring, who agreed it should be heard at Southwark Crown Court.

He bailed Lucey to appear there on December 10, on condition of residence and that she does not contact the MP or the constituency office.

Now a backbencher, having been Shadow Attorney General, former human rights lawyer Thornberry is currently Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

She has also been Shadow Foreign Secretary and Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade while in the Labour opposition.