A wave of public panic is sweeping across social media platforms as courts begin to impose strict penalties, including prison sentences, for online hate speech. This response follows the recent far right riots and violence at demonstrations and the new government promising to curb the growing issue of harmful content on the internet.
The heightened anxiety among social media users comes as courts start to deliver harsh sentences for those found guilty of spreading hate speech online. In several high-profile cases, individuals have been handed prison terms for offensive comments, sparking widespread fear and prompting many to scrutinise their online behaviour.
As a result, social media activity has seen a significant shift, with users hastily deleting or editing old posts that could be deemed offensive. This atmosphere of fear is being fuelled by the perception that even minor infractions could lead to severe consequences, including imprisonment.
Legal experts note that while the crackdown on online hate speech is intended to create safer digital spaces, the broad application of these laws is causing concern. Critics argue that the ambiguity surrounding what constitutes hate speech could lead to overzealous enforcement, potentially infringing on free speech rights and creating a chilling effect on public discourse.
Supporters of the strict penalties, however, argue that they are necessary to combat the rise of online harassment, racism, and other forms of hate speech. They believe that the threat of prison time will serve as a strong deterrent, ensuring that social media platforms do not become breeding grounds for harmful content.
As courts continue to set precedents with these strict penalties, many remain on edge, unsure of how far the law will go in regulating online expression. The situation underscores the tension between maintaining freedom of speech and protecting individuals from harmful content, a debate that is likely to intensify as more cases come to light.
What would you do with this lot?
Sentencing
A 53-year-old carer has been sentenced to prison after she admitted posting a threatening message on Facebook, stating: “Don’t protect the mosques, blow the mosque up with the adults in it.”
This incident comes amidst a series of prison sentences being handed down in response to recent disorder and riots in the UK, which erupted following the tragic fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport on 29th July. Julie Sweeney, who had been caring for her husband since 2015 and had never previously encountered legal trouble, was sentenced to 15 months in prison at Chester Crown Court after admitting to posting the inflammatory comment on 3rd August. She had sent the message to a local community Facebook group from her home in Church Lawton, Cheshire.
During the court proceedings, Sarah Badrawy, prosecuting, explained how one of the community group’s 5,100 members became uneasy upon reading several comments posted in the wake of widespread violent disorder. Sweeney’s message was reported to the police, leading to her arrest. When questioned by officers, Sweeney stated: “I’m not being rude, but there are a lot of people saying it.” She later pleaded guilty to sending a communication with the intent to convey a threat of death or serious harm.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Steven Everett, the Honorary Recorder of Chester, condemned Sweeney’s actions, stating: “You should have been looking at the news and media with horror like every right-minded person. Instead, you chose to take part in stirring up hatred. You were part of a Facebook account which had 5,100 members. You had a big audience. You threatened a mosque, wherever it was. It truly was a terrible threat. So-called keyboard warriors like you must learn to take responsibility for your disgusting and inflammatory language.” Sweeney claimed she posted the comment “in anger,” had “no intention to put people in fear,” and acknowledged that it was “unacceptable.” She also mentioned her intention to “delete Facebook.”
John Keane, defending, described Sweeney’s actions as “stupid,” noting that this was a single comment on a single day. He highlighted that Sweeney led a “quiet, sheltered life” in Cheshire and had not previously troubled the courts.
Meanwhile, courts across the country have been fast-tracking cases related to recent riots to serve as a warning to others. Among those sentenced was 26-year-old Connor Whiteley, who pleaded guilty to violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker after playing a “prominent role” in “racist, hate-fuelled mob violence” in Hull on 3rd August. He was sentenced on Wednesday after Hull Crown Court heard that Whiteley had been at the forefront of a group confronting police officers who were attempting to protect a hotel known to house asylum seekers. Whiteley kicked the shield of a female police officer, causing her to lose her balance and suffer minor arm injuries. He was also part of a group that targeted a garage, setting cars on fire and shouting threats at staff, who were forced to lock themselves inside. During the attack, the judge remarked that “members of the public, including children, were terrified and cowering only 20m away whilst threats were being made to kill them.”
Whiteley received a three-year prison sentence, the same term given to 49-year-old Trevor Lloyd, who was part of a mob that stormed a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham. The court heard that Lloyd, a father of three from Oak Avenue in Rotherham, filmed the chaos on his phone as he followed a group into the Holiday Inn Express through a smashed fire door. The footage shown in Sheffield Crown Court depicted the crowd breaking in, removing items such as furniture and fire extinguishers, and hurling them at police officers holding riot shields. Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, the Recorder of Sheffield, described the footage as the “worst” he had seen, and has already sentenced several individuals in connection with the incident.
Additionally, 60-year-old Glen Guest, from Pearson Crescent in Wombwell, South Yorkshire, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for pulling a police officer to the ground during the same riot. Over 50 police officers were injured during the unrest, and there were attempts to storm and set fire to the building.
In another case, two men were sentenced for their involvement in the disorder in Bristol on 3rd August. Dominic Capaldi, aged 34, was sentenced to 34 months in prison for violent disorder. Bristol Crown Court heard that Capaldi was captured on police bodycam footage throwing objects at officers in Castle Park, where crowds were chanting “send them back.” He was also seen throwing objects at police officers attempting to prevent protesters from entering a hotel used to house asylum seekers. Similarly, 47-year-old Daniel Russell from Bristol was sentenced to 32 months in prison after admitting to violent disorder on the same day. The court was told that Russell was seen kicking a black man, who may have been part of an anti-racism protest, after the man broke through police lines separating the two groups in Castle Park. Russell was also filmed kicking out at counter-protesters standing in front of the hotel entrance.
In a related development, Julie Sweeney, the 53-year-old woman mentioned earlier, was sentenced to 15 months in prison after posting a comment on Facebook stating: “It’s absolutely ridiculous. Don’t protect the mosques. Blow the mosques up with the adults in it.” Sweeney had sent the comment to a local community group on 3rd August from her home in Church Lawton, Cheshire. The comment was reported to the police, leading to her arrest. During sentencing, Judge Steven Everett remarked that while no one was suggesting Sweeney would have carried out the act herself, “so-called keyboard warriors like her have to learn to take responsibility for their language—particularly in the context of the disorder that was going on around the country.” Sweeney acknowledged that her comment was made “in anger,” was “unacceptable,” and stated that she would be “deleting Facebook.”
In another case, a man accused of threatening serious harm and death with an imitation AK-47 assault rifle in a social media video, which was viewed 1.4 million times, denied the charges against him. Habeeb Khan pleaded not guilty at Birmingham Crown Court to a charge of possessing an imitation AK-47 between 4th and 6th August with intent to cause “members of the EDL” (English Defence League) to believe that unlawful violence would be used against them. Khan, aged 49, from Sparkbrook, Birmingham, also denied sending a threatening communication during the same period in a video uploaded to X. Judge Simon Drew KC was informed that Khan claimed he was unaware the video was being circulated on social media and that he did not upload it.
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