Video of man's sentencing over social media comments is fake
Video of man’s sentencing over social media comments is fake
(Reuters) - A video of a judge sentencing a man in Britain over comments he made on social media has been clipped to suggest the conviction centred on a remark about not wanting to give money to migrants.
Jordan Parlour, 28, from Seacroft in Leeds, pleaded guilty on Aug 6 to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour intending to stir up racial hatred.
He was later sentenced to 20 months in prison in a moment broadcast live from Leeds Crown Court.
Misleading social media posts shared a 30-second edited clip of Judge Guy Kearl KC’s sentencing remarks, where he is first shown saying: “You went on to say that you did not want your money going to immigrants who ‘rape our kids and get priority’.
The judge is next shown saying: “This offence is so serious that an immediate custodial sentence is unavoidable. Would you stand please? The sentence that I pass has been reduced by one-third to reflect your guilty plea. The sentence is 20 months’ imprisonment.”
The misleading social media posts also quoted the judge’s same remarks, adding: “UK’S FREE SPEECH CRACKDOWN: 20 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POST.”
However, the video does not include the judge saying that Parlour’s arrest and conviction was over comments that encouraged people to participate in attacks on a hotel housing asylum seekers and refugees.
“Every man and their dog should be smashing fuck out Britannia Hotel,” the judge quotes one of Parlour’s posts from early August as saying.
Responding to another user who said, “I’m down if you are lad”, the judge quoted Parlour as writing: “start about 5 bell tonight be my boy but it's all gravey”.
The comments were made in the context of anti-immigration riots across the UK, where at least one hotel housing asylum seekers was targeted with violent disorder.
Judge Kearl said the Britannia Hotel in Leeds was attacked twice between Aug. 2 and 4 and that Parlour’s comments were made between that time.
“Your motivation became clear when you informed the police that you had promoted the idea of attacking the Britannia Hotel as a result of anger and frustration at immigration problems in the country,” the judge said, referring to Parlour’s police interview after his arrest. “You went on to say that you did not want your money going to immigrants who ‘rape our kids and get priority."
The judge later added: “The overall effect of your post was to incite violence towards the building and therefore towards those in the hotel. It was not only the refugees and asylum seekers who were likely to be affected by your post but also the hotel managers, the night porters and those who worked within the hotel.”
