The man who stood shouting in front of finance minister Sigrid Kaag’s home with a blazing torch earlier this month has been jailed for six months by a magistrate in The Hague.

Max van den B, a known conspiracy theorist, was also banned from contacting any members of the cabinet and public health institute chief Jaap van Dissel.

Eline van ‘t N, who filmed Van den B ringing the bell and shouting slogans, was jailed for four months and also given a contact ban.

‘Kaag was not some random target,’ the magistrate said. ‘You targeted her because of her role in politics and her ideas, which you disagree with. But this is not the way. If you disagree with a politician’s ideas you vote for someone else, or you express your feelings in a peaceful manner.’

The two defendants’ action could ‘disrupt’ the democratic process, ‘at a time when politicians are being threatened from all sides,’ the court said.

Kaag said at the time she had experienced the incident as being extremely threatening.

Max van den B was also picked up near the house of former health minister Hugo de Jonge last month.

The sentences were less than the nine months called for by the public prosecution department.