This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/dec/05/labour-mp-luciana-berger-subject-of-hateful-blogposts-court-told
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Labour MP Luciana Berger subject of hateful blogposts, court told | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Labour MP was branded a “rodent” and an “evil money-grabber” in a series of repulsive anti-Jewish blogposts, a court has heard. | A Labour MP was branded a “rodent” and an “evil money-grabber” in a series of repulsive anti-Jewish blogposts, a court has heard. |
| Over four months, Luciana Berger, the Liverpool Wavertree MP, was allegedly harassed online by Joshua Bonehill-Paine – who was called a “committed proponent of antisemitic views”. | Over four months, Luciana Berger, the Liverpool Wavertree MP, was allegedly harassed online by Joshua Bonehill-Paine – who was called a “committed proponent of antisemitic views”. |
| The Old Bailey was told that Bonehill-Paine, 23, posted five “hateful and insulting” articles about the woman he blamed for the jailing of a far-right extremist he regarded as a comrade. | The Old Bailey was told that Bonehill-Paine, 23, posted five “hateful and insulting” articles about the woman he blamed for the jailing of a far-right extremist he regarded as a comrade. |
| Garron Helm was sentenced to four weeks in prison after pleading guilty to sending a malicious communication by tweeting a picture of Berger with a Star of David superimposed on her forehead accompanied by the words “#Hitler was right”. | Garron Helm was sentenced to four weeks in prison after pleading guilty to sending a malicious communication by tweeting a picture of Berger with a Star of David superimposed on her forehead accompanied by the words “#Hitler was right”. |
| Philip Stott, prosecuting, told jurors that Bonehill-Paine regarded the sentence as “wrongful” and set about targeting Berger, 35, afresh. | Philip Stott, prosecuting, told jurors that Bonehill-Paine regarded the sentence as “wrongful” and set about targeting Berger, 35, afresh. |
| Stott said: “The common ideology which so stirred Mr Bonehill-Paine is one of fierce antisemitism. | Stott said: “The common ideology which so stirred Mr Bonehill-Paine is one of fierce antisemitism. |
| “Throughout the articles … Ms Berger is referred to by Mr Bonehill-Paine as, for example, a rodent, as evil, a money-grabber, a dominatrix and responsible for the death of Jesus. | “Throughout the articles … Ms Berger is referred to by Mr Bonehill-Paine as, for example, a rodent, as evil, a money-grabber, a dominatrix and responsible for the death of Jesus. |
| “Repulsive as they may be to you and me, I understand that Mr Bonehill-Paine is not likely to dispute that he made these remarks.” | “Repulsive as they may be to you and me, I understand that Mr Bonehill-Paine is not likely to dispute that he made these remarks.” |
| The prosecutor told jurors that the defendant was expected to argue his posts were reasonable in the circumstances and fell within the bounds of free speech and freedom of political expression. | The prosecutor told jurors that the defendant was expected to argue his posts were reasonable in the circumstances and fell within the bounds of free speech and freedom of political expression. |
| Four of the blogposts were posted on the Daily Bale (Britain Against Left-wing Extremism), which Bonehill-Paine founded, and another on his personal website. | Four of the blogposts were posted on the Daily Bale (Britain Against Left-wing Extremism), which Bonehill-Paine founded, and another on his personal website. |
| Each article makes antisemitic remarks about Jewish people, Jewish Labour MPs and their colleagues and Berger in particular, the court heard. | Each article makes antisemitic remarks about Jewish people, Jewish Labour MPs and their colleagues and Berger in particular, the court heard. |
| Bonehill-Paine, of Yeovil, Somerset, denies racially aggravated harassment of Berger between 26 October 2014 and 25 January 2015. | Bonehill-Paine, of Yeovil, Somerset, denies racially aggravated harassment of Berger between 26 October 2014 and 25 January 2015. |
| The first post came seven days after Helm was jailed on 20 October 2014. | The first post came seven days after Helm was jailed on 20 October 2014. |
| In a blogpost entitled Racist Anti-White Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger Exposed, Bonehill-Paine allegedly accused her of “criminally instigating a campaign of personal hatred against British freedom of speech hero”. | In a blogpost entitled Racist Anti-White Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger Exposed, Bonehill-Paine allegedly accused her of “criminally instigating a campaign of personal hatred against British freedom of speech hero”. |
| He went on to state that she must be “a dominatrix” with a “deep-rooted hatred for men” and her choice of partners makes her a “money-grabber”, the court heard. The post was illustrated with three “offensive” images, including one of Berger’s face superimposed on a rat, the court heard. | He went on to state that she must be “a dominatrix” with a “deep-rooted hatred for men” and her choice of partners makes her a “money-grabber”, the court heard. The post was illustrated with three “offensive” images, including one of Berger’s face superimposed on a rat, the court heard. |
| In a second post on 4 November 2014, Berger was described as being part of a “new line of Jewish MPs” who are ensuring “that white genocide happens without fail”. | In a second post on 4 November 2014, Berger was described as being part of a “new line of Jewish MPs” who are ensuring “that white genocide happens without fail”. |
| An article days later was entitled Zog (Zionist Occupied Government) attacks Daily Stormer in retaliation to a successful Berger campaign. | An article days later was entitled Zog (Zionist Occupied Government) attacks Daily Stormer in retaliation to a successful Berger campaign. |
| The far-right website was hailed for its “fantastically successful campaign against the Jewess” cited as “a battle between good and evil, white and anti-white”. | The far-right website was hailed for its “fantastically successful campaign against the Jewess” cited as “a battle between good and evil, white and anti-white”. |
| On 20 November 2014, the defendant went on to publish a post titled Joshua Bonehill-Paine: On the eve of battle, in which he is depicted holding a union flag. | On 20 November 2014, the defendant went on to publish a post titled Joshua Bonehill-Paine: On the eve of battle, in which he is depicted holding a union flag. |
| Referring to a court hearing for similar offences, he described a charge against him of “calling a Jewish pervert a Jew”, jurors were told. | Referring to a court hearing for similar offences, he described a charge against him of “calling a Jewish pervert a Jew”, jurors were told. |
| The final piece, on 24 January 2015, was titled The Legacy of Operation Filthy Jew Bitch. | The final piece, on 24 January 2015, was titled The Legacy of Operation Filthy Jew Bitch. |
| Stott told jurors: “It was, as such a title might suggest, the article which caused Ms Berger perhaps most distress. | Stott told jurors: “It was, as such a title might suggest, the article which caused Ms Berger perhaps most distress. |
| “Within it, Mr Bonehill-Paine celebrates the 2,500-plus tweets which Ms Berger received as a result of the campaign and urged that ‘veterans of Operation Filthy Jew Bitch should be on standby for future operations’.” | “Within it, Mr Bonehill-Paine celebrates the 2,500-plus tweets which Ms Berger received as a result of the campaign and urged that ‘veterans of Operation Filthy Jew Bitch should be on standby for future operations’.” |
| The MP was alerted to the blogposts by friends and constituents, and her parliamentary assistant, Eve Byrne, reported them to police. | The MP was alerted to the blogposts by friends and constituents, and her parliamentary assistant, Eve Byrne, reported them to police. |
| Bonehill-Paine was arrested on 13 February last year. On being charged, he allegedly said: “I am really pleased. | Bonehill-Paine was arrested on 13 February last year. On being charged, he allegedly said: “I am really pleased. |
| “This gives me an opportunity to be found not guilty, hopefully at a full crown court trial, with the media that will bring.” | “This gives me an opportunity to be found not guilty, hopefully at a full crown court trial, with the media that will bring.” |
| Stott told jurors: “Both the language and the imagery deployed in these articles are strongly offensive. | Stott told jurors: “Both the language and the imagery deployed in these articles are strongly offensive. |
| “You might think the message they convey is even more so – that Ms Berger is, through her membership of the Jewish faith and community, ‘filthy’, ‘money-grabbing’ and a ‘dominatrix’, ‘evil’ – in short to be detested. | “You might think the message they convey is even more so – that Ms Berger is, through her membership of the Jewish faith and community, ‘filthy’, ‘money-grabbing’ and a ‘dominatrix’, ‘evil’ – in short to be detested. |
| “That she has gained her position through being ‘put there’ by other Jewish Labour MPs in the furtherance of an imagined ‘white genocide’ rather than, as is the real case, by being democratically selected and elected.” | “That she has gained her position through being ‘put there’ by other Jewish Labour MPs in the furtherance of an imagined ‘white genocide’ rather than, as is the real case, by being democratically selected and elected.” |
| On 28 October 2014, Bonehill-Paine admitted six charges of sending malicious communications and one of harassment over posts on Twitter and the Daily Bale alleging that several people were paedophiles. | On 28 October 2014, Bonehill-Paine admitted six charges of sending malicious communications and one of harassment over posts on Twitter and the Daily Bale alleging that several people were paedophiles. |
| He was on bail awaiting sentence for the whole period he is alleged to have harassed Berger and was handed a suspended sentence in February 2015, the court heard. | He was on bail awaiting sentence for the whole period he is alleged to have harassed Berger and was handed a suspended sentence in February 2015, the court heard. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |