Northumberland TikToker jailed for threatening to burn down Mosques during summer riots
A TikTok user who threatened to burn down mosques in a four-minute video rant during the summer riots has been put behind bars.
James Aspin said people who practice Islam were responsible for "all the crimes in this country" and raged about asylum seekers in the social media post on August 8.
The video was made just days after three children were stabbed to death at a dance class in Southport and at a time when unprecedented violence and disorder was engulfing city and town centres across the UK.
Prosecutor Claire Anderson told the court Aspin, who had 921 followers and 8,039 likes on TikTok account, uploaded the post at a time of "high emotion in society" and it received 14 views, 18 comments, five shares and was saved three times.
Miss Anderson said Aspin's profile was unrestricted and his posts were visible to anyone. The court heard the hate video, which lasted three minutes and 58 seconds, was made in response to a comment Aspin had received on an earlier post.
During the recording, Aspin spoke of his intention to attend a planned march in Newcastle and that he would "burn down every f******* mosque" in that city.
He also said: "If Churchill was still alive he would have a f****** fit".
Aspin was arrested after another TikTok user reported the video and he told police during questioning he had been drunk when he made the recording and "couldn't believe" what he had said.
Miss Anderson said: "He said he had no intention of damaging mosques but accepted others would feel afraid, upset, frightened."
He also moaned "no-one can say anything these days", told police he had planned to attend the march in Newcastle, where he intended to hold an England flag and said: "They shouldn't come to the UK as they cause problems for the country."
Aspin, 34, of Briardale Road, Blyth, Northumberland, who has two unrelated offences on his record, admitted distributing a recording intending to stir up racial hatred.
Judge Carolyn Scott sentenced him to 20 months behind bars and said: "There was an intention to incite serious violence with your words."
The judge added: "The wording used by you on that Tik tok post was hugely offensive and dangerous.
"You referenced people who practice Islam as largely responsible for all the crimes in this country, spoke about asylum seekers in a despicable way and said you and others had planned a march and you would burn down every mosque in Newcastle."
Tony Cornberg, defending, accepted Aspin's words were "highly unpleasant, dangerous" but added he is also vulnerable with complex issues. Mr Cornberg said: "His eyes have been opened in a big way."