Foam pie protester jailed for Murdoch attack

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.