LONDON, (Reuters) – A protester who threw a paper plate of foam at Rupert Murdoch during a parliamentary hearing into the News Corp phone-hacking scandal last month was given a six-week jail sentence today.
Jonathan May-Bowles, 26, a British comedian who uses the stage name Jonnie Marbles, pleaded guilty last week to assaulting the 80-year-old media tycoon.
Passing sentence at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London, district judge Daphne Wickham said May-Bowles would actually serve three weeks in prison.
She also ordered him to pay a victim surcharge and costs, the Press Association reported.
The judge condemned his actions for interrupting the hearing as Murdoch was giving evidence, which she said was “of huge importance” to many people.
May-Bowles, from Windsor, west of London, hurled the “foam pie” at Murdoch’s face towards the end of a meeting of parliament’s influential Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
Murdoch’s third wife, Wendi Deng, who was sitting behind the media mogul, immediately jumped up and appeared to hit the attacker.
The hearing was adjourned for 15 minutes and the room cleared. Murdoch returned to finish giving his evidence, without his foam-spattered jacket.
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