Julie Sweeney, a 53-year-old woman from Cheshire, who called on Facebook for a mosque to “be blown up with the adults inside” has been jailed for 15 months.
Sweeney, of Lawtongate Estate, Church Lawton, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday August 14 where she was sentenced after pleading guilty to sending communications threatening death or serious harm (S181 Online Safety Act 2023).
On Monday August 5, Cheshire Police received a complaint in relation to the hateful tone of a message which had been posted on a community Facebook group in the Kidsgrove area.
Sweeney was subsequently identified from her online profile and arrested. She was later charged with the offence.
A spokesperson for Cheshire Police 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 behaviour in Cheshire, including those who post abusive and threatening messages online. People may think that posting hateful messages on social media, instead of engaging in this sort of behaviour in person, offers them some sort of anonymity. But this could not be further from the truth. As this case demonstrates, there is nowhere to hide. If you choose to engage in this behaviour, whether in person or online, we will find you and you will be held responsible.”
The Sentencing Judge, Steven Everett, the Honorary Recorder Of Chester, reportedly told Sweeney:
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“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 said she posted the comment in anger but had “no intention to put people in fear” and conceded it was “unacceptable” and that she would be “deleting Facebook” as a result.
The news comes as prison sentences continue to be handed out following recent far-right riots across the UK, which where sparked following the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport on 29 July.
Islamophobic and far-right online accounts quickly began spreading misinformation regarding the identity and motive of the knife attacker.
Several claims went viral with some alleging the attacker was a Muslim immigrant who arrived to England illegally. All of which wasn’t true.
It was later revealed that the Southport killing suspect, Axel Rudabukana, was a 17-year-old born in Wales and had “no known links to Islam.”
On Wednesday evening, Staffordshire Police said it had arrested five men and a teenage boy in connection with violent disorder in Stoke-on-Trent and Tamworth.
The six, aged 17-54, remained in custody on Wednesday evening.
Two men from Tamworth had also been charged in relation to violent disorder in the town, added the force.
Simon Orr, 38, is accused of violent disorder and assault by beating of an emergency worker, while Martin McCluskey, 60, faces one charge of violent disorder and two of assault by beating of an emergency worker.
Islamophobic hate in the UK has more than tripled in the four months since October 7, according to a UK charity.
Tell Mama has documented 2,010 Islamophobic incidents between 7 October and 7 February – a steep rise from the 600 it recorded for the same period the year previously.
But the charity also recorded cases of physical assault, abusive behaviour, threats and acts of vandalism, with the largest proportion of incidents – 576 cases – taking place in London.
Muslim women were targeted in two out of every three recorded incidents, the charity added.
