A person has been acquitted of inciting racial hatred over a collection of social media posts shared earlier than and after the Southport murders.
A court docket heard Mark Heath repeatedly posted false claims that the offender behind the assaults was an asylum seeker named Ali Al Shaqati on X.
He denied publishing “threatening, abusive or defamatory” materials to X between July 22 and August 6 this 12 months and instructed the court docket these have been his “strong opinions” which “do not encourage violence”.
Mr Heath, of Oakham, Rutland, was acquitted by a jury at Loughborough Courthouse, appearing as Leicester Crown Court, on Monday.
The prosecution instructed the court docket that posts despatched by Mr Heath – a former jail officer – have been screenshotted by police to compile a 48-page doc for the jury.
The court docket heard Mr Heath described stabbing in southport in July – when three kids have been killed, and 10 different individuals have been injured – as a “tipping point”, and falsely claimed that the perpetrator was a failed asylum seeker who was on a aircraft to Rwanda that had been hijacked by Labour. The occasion “paused”, Sir Keir Starmer and “other leftists”.
Jurors have been instructed Mr Heath, 45, added: “They now have blood on their hands because they have brought a dangerous killer into Britain.”
is giving Proof Last week, Mr Heath mentioned: “I’ve robust opinions and I specific these views however at no time was I making an attempt to incite racial hatred.
“I'm staunchly right-wing. I don't hate all Muslims, but I have big problems with radical Islam.”
Another message posted by Mr Heath on the day of the Southport knife assaults falsely mentioned that Ali Al Shaqati was the offender, was 17 years outdated and had arrived on a ship, and falsely repeated that witnesses had heard him saying “Allah Was seen shouting “Akbar”.
Mr Heath mentioned: “Ali Al Shawati is a reputation that was broadcast from a pretend information channel which took lots of people with no consideration, clearly myself included. It was wildfire on X.”
When asked by his barrister whether he intended to incite racial hatred in the post, he said: “Absolutely not. I used to be simply commenting on what I had heard.
“Taking again our nation means taking again the borders. This is my opinion.
“The people who were rioting, in my opinion, are idiots. I condemn them 100%.”
On listening to the decision, Mr Heath – who was sitting in a wheelchair within the dock sporting a purple T-shirt – punched two within the air.
Judge Timothy Spencer Casey thanked the jury for its service and acquitted the defendant.
With inputs from BBC
