A 53-year-old woman has been sentenced to 15 months in jail in the United Kingdom for posting a comment on Facebook that mosques should not be protected and should be “blown up with the adults in it”.
Julie Sweeney, from Church Lawton, Cheshire, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to sending communications on a Facebook group that “threaten death or serious harm”.
Sarah Badrawy, prosecuting, told the court that one of the group’s 5,100 members grew “uneasy” about several comments posted on the site following riots that started after the stabbing of three girls in Southport on July 29.
Sweeney reacted to a Facebook image showing white and Asian individuals participating in the cleanup after violent disorder in Southport by posting: “It’s absolutely ridiculous. Don’t protect the mosques. Blow the mosque up with the adults in it.”
John Keane, for the defence, said “this was a single comment on a single day”.
“She lives a quiet, sheltered life in Cheshire and has not troubled the courts in her long life,” he added. “She has been primary carer for her husband since 2015.”
Police said in a statement that they “will not tolerate this kind of behaviour”.
“As this case demonstrates, there is nowhere to hide. If you choose to engage in this behaviour … we will find you and you will be held responsible,” Cheshire police said in a statement.
The prosecutions follow several days of violent unrest in cities and towns across England and Northern Ireland.
The unrest started after agitators online suggested the stabbing suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker, increasing anger among some who falsely believe immigration is to blame for most deadly crimes.
Julie Sweeney, 53, from Church Lawton has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to sending communications threatening death or serious harm (S181 Online Safety Act 2023) earlier today at Chester Crown Court. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/FMfCdJN4km
— Cheshire Police (@cheshirepolice) August 14, 2024
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a former head of the prosecution service, has promised to deliver swift justice to deter more violence.
Police have warned that arrests will likely continue for months.
Some sentencings have been televised, a rarity in the UK, while police have churned out names and photos of those convicted, in a bid to make the criminal justice system’s response highly visible.
