A 53-year-old woman who lived a “quiet, sheltered life” has been told by a judge that “even people like you need to go prison” after she posted an online message stating: “Blow the mosque up with the adults in it.”
“Keyboard warrior” Julie Sweeney was jailed on Wednesday for 15 months after she sent the comment to her local community Facebook group in Kidsgrove, Cheshire.
Sarah Badrawy, prosecuting, told the court one of the group’s 5,100 members became “uneasy” at a number of comments posted on the site in the wake of widespread violent disorder following the deaths of three young girls in Southport on June 29.
Following the posting of a photograph which showed a number of white and Asian people involved in the clean-up from the aftermath of the Southport disorder, Sweeney posted: “It’s absolutely ridiculous. Don’t protect the mosques. Blow the mosques up with the adults in it.”
Miss Badrawy said the concerned member found the post “offensive” and “did not like reading it”.
Police were alerted about the post which had been deleted.
When arrested, Sweeney told officers: “I’m not being rude but there are a lot of people saying it.”
She said she posted the comment “in anger”, had “no intention to put people in fear” and conceded it was “unacceptable” and that she would be “deleting Facebook”.
John Keane, defending, said: “She accepts it was stupid. 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.
“Her character references show she lives a kind and compassionate lifestyle.
“She has been primary carer for her husband since 2015.
“This conduct is firmly out of character for her and she has shown genuine remorse.
“This offence was committed on her computer in the safety of her own home and unfortunately pressing ‘send’ for her is going to have dire consequences.”
Sentencing, Judge Steven Everett, the Honorary Recorder of Chester, told Sweeney: “You should have been looking at the news and media with horror like every right-minded person. Instead you chose to take part in stirring up hatred.
“You were part of a Facebook account which had 5,100 members. You had a big audience.
“You threatened a mosque, wherever it was. It truly was a terrible threat.
“So-called keyboard warriors like you must learn to take responsibility for your disgusting and inflammatory language.”
He said the timing of the “awful comment” was “extremely important” given the events of recent weeks.
He added: “You had an impressionable audience and potentially a vulnerable audience.
“Your comment was recklessly made, rather than intentionally, but appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody.”
He said he took into account Sweeney’s previous good character and a “heart-rending letter” from her husband but went on: “In circumstances such as these, even people like you need to go to prison because a message must go out that if you do these terrible acts the court will say to you ‘you must go to prison’. I’m afraid that’s what I have to say to you today.”
Sweeney, who appeared in court via video link from HMP Styal, replied: “Thank you, your honour.”
Earlier, the defendant, of Lawtongate Estate, Church Lawton, pleaded guilty to sending a communication to convey a threat of death or serious harm, an offence under the Online Safety Act 2023.
A spokeswoman for Cheshire Police said: “Since the start of the recent disorder in other areas of the UK, we have been clear that we will not tolerate this kind of behaviour in Cheshire, including those who post abusive and threatening messages online.
“People may think that posting hateful messages on social media, instead of engaging in this sort of behaviour in person, offers them some sort of anonymity. But this could not be further from the truth.
“As this case demonstrates, there is nowhere to hide. If you choose to engage in this behaviour, whether in person or online, we will find you and you will be held responsible.”
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