Lock him up

The Herald reports:

“I will personally wipe you off this planet” and “I will blow your head off” are death threats a man allegedly sent to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and then Justice Minister Andrew Little among a barrage of abusive emails over a three-month period.

The Crown alleges Michael Cruickshank, in his 50s, regularly referred to the Prime Minister and Government as criminals, slave traders and state-sanctioned terrorists among some 88 lengthy emails he sent between October 2019 and January 2020. …

The email was also sent to a range of other recipients, including ACC staff, media organisations and then British Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Another one aimed at Ardern and Little, sent half an hour later, read: “I will blow your … head off if your gas lighting on my life continues.

“You have kids who want to see you grow old, as do I. I suggest you place that into proper perspective.”

I think a jail term is warranted for these sort of threats. It is one thing for people to say stupid stuff on social media, but to e-mail Ministers directly threatening to kill them is reprehensible and should not be tolerated.