Man pleads guilty over 'death threat' gun video

Unrest broke out in Birmingham in early August following false rumours of a far-right march

A man has admitted posting a viral video online threatening members of the English Defence League (EDL) during the summer riots.

Habeeb Khan, 49, was arrested in August after a video seemingly featuring him holding an imitation AK-47 assault rifle was posted on social media.

A previous court hearing was told it had been viewed 1.4 million times.

On Monday, at Birmingham Crown Court, Khan admitted sending a communication threatening death or serious harm towards the EDL and the defunct far-right group's former leader Tommy Robinson.

However, he denied a second charge of possessing an imitation firearm - a plea that the prosecution accepted.

Khan, of Sparkbrook, was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on 19 December.

He was accused of posting the video between 4 and 6 August, as violence flared up across the country in the wake of the Southport stabbings, in part fuelled by a false claim that the perpetrator was an asylum seeker who had come to the UK in a small boat.

In the video posted on X, Khan was dressed all in black, including gloves, sunglasses and a face covering.

He was seen swearing and making threats towards EDL members.

Defence barrister Sunit Sandhu said Khan was suffering from mental health difficulties for which he was on medication.

Adjourning the case, Judge Melbourne Inman KC told Khan there would be a pre-sentence report.

"That's not an indication of [the type of] sentence, but it's important that I know as much about you and your background as possible," he said.

At the time of Khan's arrest, West Midlands Police said the video had been circulated on social media on the same day disturbances in Bordesley Green, were triggered by online false rumours of a far-right march in the area.