A serving British soldier who was stationed at Hounslow Barracks, has been jailed for racial abuse after sending WhatsApp messages to a woman claiming to be a Nazi and talking about killing Muslim children.
Graham Bolger, 23, sent a woman from Feltham WhatsApp messages from July 1 to November 23, 2017, with racially abusive comments about Turkish people.
The defendant had also WhatsApp messaged her about killing Muslim children, and boasted to her about being a Nazi, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
He was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 9 January after pleading guilty to two charges of intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress which was racially or religiously aggravated.
His sentence was uplifted from 16 weeks to 24 weeks after the CPS convinced the court that Bolger’s actions were a hate crime.
District Crown Prosecutor Joyce Kerrins, from the CPS, said: “Graham Bolger’s conduct was made worse by his racially abusive comments.
“Where a hate crime has been committed the CPS will always apply to the court to apply the law and give an ‘uplifted’ sentence which properly fully reflects the nature of the crime.
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“The evidence provided by the prosecution, following a thorough police investigation, included social media messages and witness testimony and was pivotal to him pleading guilty to his crimes.
“I hope this prosecution empowers other victims of hate crimes to come forward and stop others from also being subjected to vile abuse.”
