Pair who posted race hate messages on Facebook jailed

Christopher Taggart (left) and Rhys McDonald both pleaded guilty to publishing written material to stir up racial hatred

Two men who posted hateful racist messages on Facebook in the wake of the Southport knife attack have been jailed.

Christopher Taggart, 36, and Rhys McDonald, 34, made repeated posts containing racial abuse and encouraging people to engage in racial hatred, police said.

Officers tracked down the pair, both from Runcorn in Cheshire, and arrested them on Saturday - with a search of Taggart's home also revealing a knuckleduster.

Taggart, of Caesars Close, was jailed for 32 months and McDonald, of Oxford Road, was sentenced to 28 months after they both pleaded guilty to publishing written material to stir up racial hatred.

'Stir up hatred'

The court heard on 30 July, Taggart posted: "Who's up for a rally?" and McDonald replied that they needed to march "with torches and pitchforks".

Another Facebook user asked: "What's the rally all about?"

Taggart said: "To get them gone. We don't want them."

In the same online thread, McDonald said it was "about an ideology", adding on 4 August they needed to "protest at the hotels".

A day later Taggart posted: "We don't want them here."

Both men were arrested on 10 August at their homes and police seized a knuckleduster at Taggart's address.

McDonald made no comment to police while Taggart claimed to have ADHD which caused impulsive actions and said he did not mean anything he posted.

Prosecutor Jane Morris told Chester Crown Court the offending must be viewed in the context of "the widespread and extensively reported scenes of disorder, violence and criminal damage which have taken place around the country".

"The offence is clearly aggravated by the defendants' efforts to plan an event designed to stir up hatred, as well as by the timing of the incident and the sensitive social climate," she said.

Taggart, who also admitted possession of an offensive weapon, had previous convictions for public order offences.

McDonald had a previous conviction for a public order offence when he was a youth.

Ch Supt Alison Ross said: "Much of the violent disorder which has taken place across the UK in recent weeks has been fuelled by malicious communications online, something which Taggart and McDonald decided to take part in.

"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."