A Chesterfield woman who harassed three individuals has been given a suspended prison sentence. Clare Glover, 64, pleaded guilty to three counts of harassment and appeared at Derby Magistrates Court on Friday, July 26.
The court heard that Glover admitted to harassing a social worker via Tweets and communications between December 6, 2021, and May 22, 2022, and harassing a police officer through similar means between March 17, 2022, and May 13, 2022. She also pleaded guilty to harassing Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins by sending multiple emails between August 28 and September 9, 2023.
The prosecuting barrister stated that Glover sent over 40 emails or tweets about the social worker, copying social services, many local MPs, clergy, the police, and the court into the communications. At the time, Glover had over 1,000 social media followers. The court also heard that Glover obtained the social worker’s private phone number and contacted her before being blocked by the complainant.
Several accusations made by Glover towards the social worker were read in court. She called the social worker a “persistent liar” who “took part in the illegal seizure of children” and a “child abuser.” As a result, the social worker faced a disciplinary process, which had a profound personal and professional impact on her.
Glover also made multiple accusations online against a police officer, calling him a “stalker and a creep” and publishing photographs of him several times. She continued her harassment by calling him an “abuser of power” and a “uniformed thug.” The officer was investigated by the Professional Standards Department twice, which the court heard was very traumatic for him.
The allegations against Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins were also quoted during the hearing. Glover emailed the MP with slurs, bogus allegations, and threats to “inform the media.” Perkins stated, “The episode with Clare Glover has been extremely worrying and upsetting. I believe the entirely false allegations were motivated by spite and were also an attempt to blackmail me. I also believe the allegations, which Ms. Glover knew to be untrue, were specifically designed to be as damaging as possible to my reputation.”
Speaking for Glover, the defense barrister said, “The defendant, as she is in front of the court today, has learned the hard way that if she does these things, there are consequences. She is now addressing them correctly. There has been a significant period of time where Ms. Glover has not expressed herself in those ways.”
District Judge Mr. Justice Ikram said, “Miss Glover, I take a very serious view of this case. This case is made more serious because in 2022 you had a similar conviction, yet your behavior continued into 2023. You didn’t learn, you didn’t listen, and the consequences for the individuals have been serious, both professional embarrassment and fear. Fear by a Member of Parliament that you would go public with these outrageous allegations. The allegations you made were nonsensical, outrageous lies in relation to all three of these people and had a serious impact. The social worker ended up being investigated internally, and the police officer was investigated twice by his own Professional Standards Department.”
“I can only imagine the impact on these professionals’ careers and how they were affected by being stopped from making decisions and being investigated by their regulators. It’s not just what you said, but the impact on them that is an aggravating feature, beyond your previous relevant conviction.
“You did not plead guilty at the earliest opportunity for any of these matters. There was a late guilty plea in relation to the social worker and MP cases. Public servants are in a very difficult position when it comes to social media. The misuse and abuse of social media is a significant problem of our time. People say things online that they would never say in person, and yet the impact is far more profound, especially with thousands of followers.
“Good people will be deterred from entering public service if they are attacked the way you attacked these individuals, blackmailed the MP, and threatened the careers of the other two people.
“For these reasons, I view the seriousness of the offences as an aggravating feature that can’t be dealt with by a community order or fine.
“You did plead guilty on the day of the hearing, so I give you limited credit. I’m giving you a sentence that encompasses all the offences, as they all arise from the same grievance. You will go to prison for 16 weeks, but I am suspending that for 12 months.
“I am mindful of the state of our prisons, your age, and the medium risk of serious harm you pose. I believe rehabilitation and the time elapsed since the last offence in 2023 will hopefully help you stay out of trouble.”
Ms. Glover was also ordered to complete 20 days of rehabilitation and attend 12 mental health sessions. She is prohibited from contacting any of the victims.
A £254 collection order was issued, with the court determining that the defendant is unable to pay a higher fine due to her poor financial situation.
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