LONDON: A 43-year-old man from Welsh borough Rhondda Cynon Taf, Geraint Boyce, has been sentenced to two years in prison for publishing threatening material aimed at stirring up religious hatred in relation to July’s Southport stabbings.

The court said he will serve half of his sentence before being released on licence.

The charges stem from Facebook posts made by Boyce on July 31, during widespread unrest across the UK, following the tragic deaths of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

The victims, Alice da Silva Aguiar (9), Bebe King (6), and Elsie Dot Stancombe (7), were allegedly stabbed, sparking national riots. In response to the tragedy, King Charles visited Southport to express condolences in August.

In connection with the unrest, Boyce posted inflammatory content on social media, including an image of a mosque with a caption that read, “No more mosques”.

In the comments, he called for mosques to be “burned down” with people inside. He also shared an image of a lion with the Union Jack, accompanied by the statement, “I’m ready for war.”

Boyce was arrested on August 9, and when questioned, asked, “Is this because of the online stuff to do with the riots?” The prosecution revealed that Boyce was logged into the account from which the posts were made at the time of his arrest.

Prosecuting barrister Alex Orndal told the Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court that Boyce’s posts clearly demonstrated an intent to incite violence, while his defence barrister, Nicholas Gedge, stated that Boyce was “ashamed” of his actions, attributing his views to what he had seen online. Gedge also conveyed Boyce’s remorse and his desire for peaceful coexistence within society.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2024