Jared O'Mara will find prison 'difficult' and 'believes he did nothing wrong' says ex-aide

Jared O’Mara, the former Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam, is likely to find prison “difficult” if he is found guilty of electoral fraud, according to his former aide.

O’Mara, 37, is accused of submitting a false nomination paper in the 2017 general election and is due to appear in court on October 28th.

The former aide, who asked to remain anonymous, said O’Mara was “very upset” when he heard the news and believes he did nothing wrong.

“He has been very open about his struggles with mental health and I think prison would be a very difficult place for him,” the aide said.

“He is adamant that he did nothing wrong and believes he was just trying to help the Labour Party get elected in a marginal seat.”

The aide added that O’Mara is “very remorseful” for the situation he finds himself in and is keen to move on.

“Jared is a good man who has done a lot for the people of Sheffield Hallam,” the aide said.

“He is keen to move on from this and put the past behind him. He is hoping for a positive outcome from the court case.”

The Electoral Commission is also investigating O’Mara for potentially breaking campaign finance rules during the 2017 election.

O’Mara, who was elected as a Labour MP in 2017, was suspended from the party in 2018 following a series of controversial comments he had made in the past.

He resigned from his position in 2019, citing mental health issues.