Self-confessed Nazi who called for genocide of Jews is jailed
Man from Lancashire who cannot be named is found guilty of two counts of stirring up racial hatred
A self-confessed Nazi who called for the genocide of Jewish people has been jailed for three years for stirring up racial hatred.
The 22-year-old man from Lancashire, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty of two counts of stirring up racial hatred following a trial in January.
Preston Crown Court heard he committed the offences during a demonstration by a group named the North West Infidels on Blackpool Promenade in March 2016, and at a gathering of far-right extremists, the Yorkshire Forum for Nationalists, held the month before.
During a sentencing hearing on Wednesday, he nodded his head in the dock as Judge Robert Altham questioned whether he still held the same views as he had when he gave the two speeches.
Sentencing, Judge Altham said: “The intent is very clear, he is trying to encourage a movement towards genocide.
“These are not idle comments said in the heat of the moment but intended to mobilise others.”
He added: “The defendant is resolute in his original views and withdraws nothing.”
Judge Altham described an apology submitted in mitigation as “meaningless” at best, or “dishonest” at worst.
He said: “He seeks to raise street armies, perpetrate violence against Jewish people and ultimately bring about genocide.”
He sentenced him to 18 months in prison for each offence, to be served consecutively.
The court heard the defendant had described Jewish people as parasites and called for them to be “eradicated” at the Yorkshire event, where he spoke to delegates from other far-right organisations.
At the Blackpool demonstration, held on the town’s promenade, where passersby included families and children, he claimed Britain “took the wrong side” in the Second World War.
The court heard others at the demonstration clapped when the defendant said: “You can call me a Nazi, you can call me a fascist, that’s what I am.”
He ended the speech by saying: “We need to start focusing on the real enemy, the real enemy is the Jew.”
A member of the crowd replied: “Yeah, kill the f*****.”
Judge Altham said material discovered by police at his home, which included a poster that claimed “the Jewish master race” sought to turn 99% of the population into slaves, was “as shocking and inflammatory as it is misguided”.
Wayne Jackson, defending, said: “He is a young man. He knows he is going to prison and it’s going to be a number of years he goes to prison for.”
He accepted the defendant “wouldn’t wish to be described as naive”.
He said: “It may well be he has been impressionable in the past but he does what he does and he wouldn’t ask me or instruct me to make excuses.”
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