Mosque explosion call woman jailed for online post

Julie Sweeney was arrested after posting on a community Facebook page

A woman who called on Facebook for a mosque to "be blown up with the adults inside" has been jailed for 15 months.

Julie Sweeney, 53, of Cheshire, admitted a charge of sending a communication threatening death or serious harm, when she appeared at Chester Crown Court.

Sweeney, from Church Lawton near Alsager, posted the comment after riots flared across England in the wake of the killings of three young girls in Southport, last month.

The court heard she was responding to an online post picturing people helping to repair the mosque in Southport after it was damaged during violent disorder that followed the stabbings.

The court was told Sweeney wrote: "It’s absolutely ridiculous. Don’t protect the mosque. Blow the mosque up with the adults in it."

She was one of a number of people appearing in courts across England on Wednesday following widespread riots.

Among those cases were:

• A Rotherham man jailed after he was identified from TikTok footage as being part of a mob that stormed a hotel used to house asylum seekers

• A man who assaulted a female police officer during a riot in Hull sentenced to three years in prison

• Daniel Russell, 47, jailed after he was seen kicking a black man during a anti-immigration protest in Bristol

• Meanwhile, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it has charged close to 400 people in connection with the disorder following the fatal stabbing of three girls in Southport

• And Home Office minister Jess Phillips admitted she made a "mistake" in her response to a video showing masked men confronting a reporter last week

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.

In Sweeney's case, the prosecution told the court the Facebook group she posted in usually carries items about local events and lost and found items, and has just over 5000 members.

Sarah Badrawy, prosecuting, accepted Sweeney’s post was made out of anger and was reckless rather than genuinely intended to put people in fear.

John Keane, for the defence, argued his client was the primary carer for her husband, and had lived a "quiet, sheltered life in Cheshire".

Sweeney had never been in trouble before and was genuinely remorseful, Mr Keane added.

'Truly terrible threat'

As he jailed her, Judge Stephen Everett said: "You should have looked at the news with horror, like right minded people.

"Instead, you chose to take part in stirring up hatred. It was a truly terrible threat."

The judge said no-one had suggested Sweeney would have taken part in any violence, but "so called keyboard warriors like her, have to learn to take responsibility for their inflammatory and disgusting language".

Sweeney wiped away tears as she was jailed and said "thank you, your honour", before she was taken down.

Following the hearing, Cheshire Police said people may think posting hateful messages on social media offered them some sort of anonymity, but they were wrong.

"As this case demonstrates, there is nowhere to hide," said a spokesperson.