2nd Man Charged Over Harassment of England’s Chief Medical Officer

England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, outside the Department of Health in London on June 25, 2021. Kirsty O’Connor/PA

A second man has been charged after England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty was harassed on June 27, the Metropolitan police said on Tuesday.

The Met said 24-year-old Jonathan Chew of no fixed address has been charged on Monday with common assault and obstructing police.

Chew is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

Footage from June 27 in St. James’s Park, London, which circulated online, shows Chew and his friend Lewis Hughes jeering as they grab hold of Whitty, who appears to struggle to free himself.

The two men were at a nearby anti-lockdown protest when they saw Whitty.

Hughes, 23, has been charged on Thursday evening with common assault and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on July 30.

Hughs has since apologised for his behaviour, saying he had a drink before the incident, and only wanted a selfie with the chief medical officer to show his mother.

“There was no malicious intent, I didn’t want to upset him,” Hughs told The Sun newspaper on Thursday.

The former estate agent said he had never been in trouble before, and that he had lost his job after the video went viral and prompted widespread criticism, including from the prime minister, who called the two men “thugs.”

Hughs said he felt “let down” that Prime Minister Boris Johnson called him a thug.

Chew, who has autism and ADHD, told the newspaper that he didn’t think they did anything wrong.

“We just saw him and thought that’s the guy from the TV. He’s been on our screens every day for the last year, he’s famous,” Chew told The Sun, saying that they only wanted a selfie.

Whitty became a household name during the early period of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic when he regularly appeared alongside Johnson giving televised briefings and fielding questions on the scientific advice behind the UK government’s pandemic response.

It is the third time that footage of Whitty apparently being harassed has surfaced on social media, prompting questions over whether he should be assigned personal protection.

The Met said the enquiries into the incident continue.

Simon Veazey contributed to this report.