West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock has told a court he felt "physically intimidated' after being accosted twice by an anti-vaccination protestor who accused him of murdering people during the coronavirus pandemic.
The former health secretary appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Geza Tarjanyi, 62, of Leyland in Lancashire, who has denied causing harassment without violence, is accused of shoulder-barging the MP and shouting “ridiculous conspiracy theories” on two separate occasions on January 19 and 24.
On January 19, Mr Hancock and a member of staff passed an anti-vaccination protest near Parliament.
The court heard Tarjanyi filmed him, asked him why he had “killed so many people” and shoulder-barged him during a five-minute interaction.
Speaking at the trial, Mr Hancock said: “As a public figure, I can’t recall a time when I felt as intimidated as this.
“I felt physically intimidated and felt like I needed to get to a place of safety, he was being completely unreasonable.
“I didn’t know what further unreasonable actions he would take.”
During the second incident Mr Hancock was approached by Tarjanyi at Westminster underground station after having breakfast with the Prime Minister.
Tarjanyi followed the MP onto a train for around 10 minutes and again accused him of murdering people.
The 44-year-old said he recognised the defendant and felt “more intimidated” because he was on his own and tried to get Transport for London (TfL) staff to intervene.
Mr Hancock said he then stopped at the top of an escalator to “resolve the situation” but felt the defendant pushing him towards it.
He said: “Obviously I was extremely worried at this time. If I had lost my balance at that point, I would have tumbled down the escalator.
“It’s a long escalator, I could see a long escalator moving away from me, and I was being pushed from behind.
“I had to work to maintain my balance and stop myself falling down the escalator.”
Parveen Mansoor, defending, said Tarjanyi denies any physical contact and believes it was Mr Hancock who “barged into him”.
She added: “He denies assaulting him in any way shape or form.”
The trial continues.
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