Two Tier Justice : Army Hero's Prosecution Ignites Double Standards Outrage..

Labour MP Jonathan Brash's recent bid to have an armed forces veteran prosecuted for a social media post may have just lifted the lid on the scale on the scale "Two Tier Policing" on Teesside..

8th November 2025

Explosive revelations have reignited claims of two-tier justice occurring on Teesside — after documents seen by the Teesside & Durham Post reveal that similar 'threatening' social media posts made against a member of the public shortly after the 2024 summer riots were quietly logged by Cleveland Police as “Case Closed”....

The Teesside & Durham Post received the documents from a member of the public revealing the comments — which included the details of the threatening social media post made directly against the member of the public were reported to Clevelanbd Police almost immediately after they surfaced online — however, instead of being investigated & the offender charged with a criminal offence, the case was dismissed by officers without further investigation.

 “How about I throw stuff at you like my fist, and see if the police come then?” and “Anybody in these riots are fooking racist and need a good punishment” 

The social media post directed at a member of the public which was of a similar 'threatening' nature as the one which seen a local army veteran prosecuted...

The decision by Cleveland Police to ignore one case, seemingly because the victim was a member of the public & not a member of Parliament is likely to spark yet more outrage that police are selectively investigating social media crimes depending on who the recipient is & their status in society and comes just weeks after a Hartlepool army veteran was prosecuted for sending similar online messages to Labour MP Jonathan Brash.

Army Veteran Convicted — Others Ignored

The prosecution of Dean Rusk from Hartlepool has again raised awkward questions over selective justice occurring on Teesside & whether judges are 'making examples' of those who dare to speak out online.

Earlier this month, Dean Rusk, a 55-year-old father of two and British Army veteran with more than two decades of service to his country, was convicted at Teesside Magistrates’ Court of sending an allegedly “menacing” Facebook message to Mr Brash.

Rusk’s posts — including the quote “If I see you you better run” and “Liebour scum” — were reportedly sent in response to Labours treatment of forces personnel & Labours policy towards pensioners. He said his comments were made in frustration over Labour’s policies towards veterans and pensioners, insisting he meant no physical harm.

Despite his partial deafness and PTSD diagnosis, District Judge Helen Cousins ruled the messages had caused “alarm or distress,” fining Rusk a total of £1,302, citing “heightened risks” to MPs across the country.

Why One Rule for Politicians, Another for the Public?

Its beginning to look as if MP's are being awarded extra police protection for prosecutions to be made against those who air their grievances at those elected to serve them

The newly revealed police reports seen by the Teesside & Durham Post however suggest that when similar social media threats have been directed against seemingly ordinary people, no such urgency or prosecution has followed. In fact, Cleveland Police are said to be repeatedly marking such cases as “No Further Action” closing them almost immediately — a stark contrast to the swift pursuit of Rusk for his comments against Hartlepool Labour MP Jonathan Brash.

This has fueled accusations that Cleveland Police is engaging in selective enforcement — a “two-tier” justice system where politicians receive full protection, whilst ordinary locals are left unprotected.

Critics argue the pattern is part of a wider trend being exercised by officers on Teesside under the Communications Act 2003, which has seen more than 12,000 arrests nationally in 2024 for supposedly “offensive” online comments — many of them targeting individuals simply for expressing political opinions.

Veterans’ Fury and Free Speech Concerns

Some armed forces veterans have already stated that Labour MP Mr. Brash "Will not be welcome" at this weekends remembrance parade

The backlash from the armed forces community against Mr Brash for his bid to prosecute Rusk has been fierce, especially with Remembrance Day approaching, with many veterans coming out to say that they fought for freedoms that are now being eroded in what some are calling “Keir Stalin's Britain.”

They point out that Mr Brash himself has previously faced criticism for allegedly encouraging the prosecution of a local journalist who exposed council wrongdoing at Hartlepool Borough Council — suggesting a pattern Mr Brash's bid of silencing dissent rather than defending democracy, with many questioning just how Brash manages to access justice, others seemingly are denied.

As Hartlepool continues to recover from the 2024 riots, these revelations strike at the very heart of public trust.

Why was a veteran dragged through the courts, while similar or sometimes, even worse threats made by others have been ignored? Why do some cases lead to prosecution — and others to what Cleveland Police describes as merely “advice only” to the victim ?

In a town still scarred by division, one question remains:

Is justice on Teesside truly blind — or does it really depend on who you are?