Woman who threw McDonald’s milkshake at Nigel Farage admits assault
Reform UK leader ‘saddened’ by drink-throwing incident after Victoria Thomas Bowen pleads guilty to attack
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
A woman has admitted to throwing a milkshake over Nigel Farage while he was campaigning in Essex ahead of this summer’s general election.
A banana-flavoured McDonald’s milkshake was thrown over the Reform UK leader in Clacton-on-Sea after he addressed supporters at a rally that marked the launch of his campaign on 4 June.
The Clacton MP was doused as he left the Moon and Starfish Wetherspoon pub and was left with the yellow liquid splattered across his dark blue suit.
Victoria Thomas Bowen, 25, was charged with assault by beating following the incident.
The 25-year-old was also charged with criminal damage after causing £17.50 of damage to a jacket belonging to Mr Farage’s security officer, James Woolfenden.
Thomas Bowen, of St Osyth Road in the seaside town, had originally denied the charges and was due to go on trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday but changed her pleas to guilty before proceedings began.
Deputy senior district judge Tan Ikram told the defendant: “You have pleaded guilty to, in my judgment, two serious charges.
“This was an unprovoked, targeted attack now on an elected member of parliament. I take a serious view of these offences.
“I am seeking a pre-sentence report, which will consider all options for sentence.”
The 25-year-old has been granted unconditional bail, with her sentencing hearing set for the morning of 16 December.
In a witness statement read out to the court on his behalf, Mr Farage said: “The cup hit me directly in my face … liquid went all over me.”
While he said he was not injured, he described the incident as causing him “concern”, because he has “only been going about my job” and he tries to “have as much public engagement as possible”.
He added: “I’m saddened that this has happened at a public campaign.”
In a video posted on X after the hearing, Mr Farage claimed that Thomas Bowen, had been seeking attention with the stunt.
He said: “I am pleased it was only a milkshake. We went to Westminster magistrates’ court this morning. Huge circus and right at the last minute she pleads guilty.
“Just think of the vast amount of public money and time that has been wasted in taking this all the way to the magistrate’s court when at any point in the intervening period she could have pled guilty but chose not to.
“She is on OnlyFans and therefore makes money out of any publicity that she gets.”
Thomas Bowen was arrested shortly after the incident and told police in an interview that she saw a post online advertising Mr Farage’s attendance that day, the court heard.
She told officers she “does not agree with his political views”.
She said she was outside the pub when she saw him leaving and decided to act because she “had the opportunity”, but that she did not intend for the cup to hit Mr Farage.
Giving details from her police interview, prosecutor Nishma Shah told the court: “She acknowledges that this was an assault and that the liquid would have gone over the jackets of him and others and caused them to get cleaning, but she states that Nigel would be able to afford this.
“She states she did not regret her actions.”
When questioned on why Thomas Bowen changed her plea on the day of trial, Andrew Price, defending, told the judge: “This case has had a tremendous impact on this defendant.
“There have been a number of threats made against this defendant and she as much as possible wanted to put it out of her mind and avoid making the decision that she ultimately has come to.”
The barrister earlier made a successful application to the court to allow his client not to read her address out in open court, explaining that “very severe threats have been made” concerning the case.
Thomas Bowen, who is an OnlyFans model, did not make a comment as she left Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday morning.
She has more than 44,000 followers on Twitter/X, and lists “content creator” as her profession on her account.
She posted a video to her Instagram story as she left court after Monday’s hearing, showing members of the press photographing her exiting the building.
Following Monday’s hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Rob Huddleston, from Essex Police, said: “It is vital that democracy is allowed to take place and we police without fear or favour.
“Disagreeing with someone’s political views is not an excuse to use violence or intimidation.
“Elected officials and people standing for elected office, like any member of the public, must be allowed to go about their business without fear for their safety.”
In a separate incident, in August, Josh Greally, of Clowne, Derbyshire, was sentenced to six weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, after admitting throwing a coffee cup and another item at Mr Farage as he campaigned on his battle bus in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, on 11 June.
Previously, during a campaign walkabout in Newcastle in 2019, Mr Farage had a banana and salted caramel milkshake thrown at him.
“Milkshaking” – the act of dousing public figures in a milkshake – was officially recognised by Collins Dictionary the same year.