Plasterer jailed over two Facebook posts inciting racial hatred

A plasterer has been jailed after admitting writing Facebook posts inciting racial hatred.

Daniel Aaron Kingsley, from Flintshire, appeared at Mold Crown Court on Thursday, 15 August, where he was sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to distributing written material to stir up racial hatred – an offence under Sections 19(1) and 27(3) of the Public Order Act 1986.

North Wales Police was made aware of two racist posts published on Facebook, supporting recent riots, on 10 August.

Police said one of the posts incited rioting at a number of properties in the Deeside area.

A judge, who praised the police and Crown Prosecution Service for acting swiftly, told Kingsley he was a "bigot" who had committed his crime from the "comfort" of his home although he had not been physically involved.

Dad-of-eight Kingsley, 33, of Plough Lane, Aston, was subsequently identified as the account user and arrested that day, and was later charged.

Kingsley was said to have shared his two posts on his private Facebook page - which the court heard has 300 followers - and on one platform. He took them down himself and apologised, the court heard.

Prosecutor David Mainstone told the court the offence took place days after widespread trouble across the UK and Northern Ireland.

There were disturbances including in Southport on July 30, Hartlepool on July 31, Sunderland and Liverpool on August 2, Belfast, Nottingham and Hull on August 3, Middlesbrough on August 4, and Birmingham, Plymouth and Belfast on August 5, he said.

Mr Mainstone said the defendant had "clearly been aware" that these incidents were taking place. But he told the court: "Nevertheless on August 8 he posted on Facebook: "If you believe these riots ain't right you should not be in the UK and you should not be allowed to be citizens of the UK."

Mr Mainstone said Kingsley also made racial slurs against ethnic groups and said this country was "going down the sh***er". He added in the post: "We have had beheadings, now stabbings of kids - when will they learn?"

In a second post on August 10, Kingsley wrote on Facebook: "If you are going to riot today do it properly." He referred to a number of areas, including a property where migrants were housed where police had already stepped up patrols.

He told officers he had copied and pasted the first post and the words had not been his own. He now knows the words were disgusting and accepted they could be deemed racist.

The second post was put up because he did not want a riot near his home and family. But his father and wife saw the posts and he took the posts down.

He prosecutor said Kingsley denied being racist, although the judge remarked: "They always do."

Alexandra Carrier, defending, said the posts were to friends not the public and he removed them himself. She said her client had never engaged in racially aggravated offending before and was sorry.

He had stopped offending more generally after meeting his wife who put him on the right track, the court heard. He has eight children, including a severely autistic son and cares for his stepfather and mother.

On his offending, she said: "He is devastated he did it. He knows he has failed his wife and children."

The court also heard that Kingsley, who appeared on video link from HMP Berwyn, had a hernia operation on Sunday and is in some pain.

The judge, His Honour Rhys Rowlands, condemned Kingsley's behaviour calling him a bigot.

He said: "On 9 July three innocent young children were killed in Southport in an act which both shocked and united right-thinking people who (felt) revulsion and horror at what took place, and sympathy for the families and friends of those tragic victims.

"Within hours others were seeking to take advantage of the situation, spreading lies and misinformation."

This would have been frightening for members of ethnic minorities and police officers called out to protect communities, added the judge.

He added "thankfully the mindless and disgraceful thuggery was not replicated here in Wales", although bigots like the defendant played their part by writing "deeply offensive racist posts".

Judge Rowlands said: "Your intention was to incite or encourage serious violence...

"Those who propagate hate and racial division must accept the consequences."

Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman KPM said: "North Wales Police takes any allegation of criminality, whether committed online or in person, extremely seriously.

"This type of offending causes fear within communities and as this case demonstrates, those who engage in online offending in such a way will be identified and placed before the court."

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