UK men get over 2 years in jail for social media posts deemed ‘racist’ — apparently in wake of deadly child stabbings
A pair of men in the United Kingdom each were sentenced to over two years in jail for posting what officials deemed “racist messages” on social media, the Cheshire Constabulary said Tuesday.
Officials said 36-year-old Christopher Taggart of Caesars Close, Runcorn, and 34-year-old Rhys McDonald of Oxford Road, Runcorn, appeared Tuesday at Chester Crown Court.
‘This should serve as a stark reminder against posting abusive messages online — we are all responsible for our actions, including what we post on social media.’
Taggart was sentenced to 32 months — just four months shy of three years — and McDonald was sentenced to 28 months, officials said, adding that they both pleaded guilty to “publishing written material to stir up racial hatred.” Officials also said Taggart pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon in a private place.
Cheshire Police on Aug. 5 became aware of “concerning messages that were openly available to view on Facebook” that Taggart and McDonald posted, officials said, adding that multiple posts contained “racial abuse” and encouraged people to “engage in racial hatred.”
Taggart posted messages between July 29 and Aug. 6; McDonald posted messages between July 29 and Aug. 5, officials said, adding that they were arrested Saturday. Officials added that officers found brass knuckles in Taggart’s home during a search.
July 29 was the day of a deadly mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed children’s dance class in Southport. A 17-year-old male was accused of killing three and injuring numerous other victims in the attack.
Pallbearers carry the coffin of 9-year-old Alice Da Silva Aguiar from St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Southport, Aug. 11, 2024, following a funeral service for her. Alice and Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe were murdered during a July 29 knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party that also left another 10 people injured.Photo by ANNABEL LEE-ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Officials initially said there was no evidence that terrorism was a motive in the deadly knife attack, which angered many who accused the government of covering up evidence. Police identified suspect Axel Rudakubana and charged him with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder. Officials identified him as being from Cardiff but also noted that his parents are Rwandan.
Unrest and violence erupted the day after the stabbings and have spread across the United Kingdom. Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced the violence and blamed “far-right thuggery.”
Counter-demonstrators march against an anti-immigration protest in London, Aug. 7, 2024. Nightly riots erupted after three children were murdered in Southport on July 29.Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL/AFP via Getty Images
However, now-suspended U.K. Labour Party Councillor Ricky Jones reportedly was arrested last week on suspicion of encouraging murder of anti-immigration protesters after an outdoor speech in London in front of a rabid, far-left crowd during which he hollered, “They are disgusting, nasty fascists, and we need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all!” A video of the speech shows him sliding his finger across his neck as he spoke; he then led a “free, free Palestine!” chant.
Radio host Glenn Beck, co-founder of Blaze Media, last week opined that “two-tier justice” — in which police more or less ignore Muslim immigrant crime but come down hard on non-Muslims — has been laid bare in the U.K. in the wake of the deadly knife attack.
Also last week, Sir Mark Rowley, commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police, said “we will come after you” — even if you live in another country — if you post material online about the rioting in England that officials say incites racial hatred.
Indeed, U.K. police last week said they arrested a 55-year-old woman in connection with an “inaccurate social media post” in regard to the “identity of the attacker in the Southport murders,” the Cheshire Constabulary said in a separate report.
Stephen Parkinson — director of public prosecutions of England and Wales — also said, “We do have dedicated police officers who are scouring social media. Their job is to look for this material, and then follow up with identification, arrests, and so forth.”
In regard to the two jailed men, Chief Superintendent Alison Ross said, “Since the start of the recent disorder in other areas of the UK, we have been clear that we will not tolerate this kind of behavior in Cheshire, including those who post racial abuse online. Much of the violent disorder which has taken place across the UK in recent weeks has been fueled by malicious communications online, something which Taggart and McDonald decided to take part in. But they were not able to hide behind their devices and online accounts — they were soon identified and are now being held accountable. This should serve as a stark reminder against posting abusive messages online — we are all responsible for our actions, including what we post on social media.”
Anything else?
A 32-year-old Romanian citizen with no fixed address was charged last week with attempted murder after an 11-year-old girl was repeatedly stabbed in London’s Leicester Square. She survived but needed plastic surgery. Officials said the attack was not terror-related.
Three males were arrested last week in connection with what Austrian officials said was a foiled terror plot targeting Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna — apparently fueled by radical Islam.
Swift is expected to perform five concerts at London’s Wembley Stadium starting Thursday through Aug. 20 to close the European leg of her Eras Tour.
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