A journalist has denied stalking former Chancellor George Osborne and his wife Thea Rogers for almost a year.
Lydia Suffield, 27, is accused of sending emails and Instagram messages to the couple and making false referrals to the children’s charity NSPCC between June 8, 2022 and July 5, 2023.
At a brief hearing at Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday, Suffield pleaded not guilty to two counts of stalking involving alarm or serious distress, in breach of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
The charge states that Suffield’s alleged conduct had a “substantial adverse impact” on the “usual daily activities” of Osborne and his wife.
Suffield, from Liverpool, would only confirm her name and address and deny the accusations. She had previously entered her initial not guilty plea at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in December.
The independent journalist was supported by her family in the public exhibition.
She was granted conditional bail and her trial date is set for May 18, 2026.
Judge Martin Edmonds KC asked Suffield to return to court for the trial, which is expected to last seven days.
“I’m sorry it can’t be sooner, this is the soonest we can be admitted to this court because of the backlog of cases,” he said.
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