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| Aristocrat faces jail after being menacing and racist about Gina Miller | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A viscount who offered money on Facebook for anyone to run over and kill anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller is facing jail after being convicted of sending menacing messages. | A viscount who offered money on Facebook for anyone to run over and kill anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller is facing jail after being convicted of sending menacing messages. |
| Rhodri Philipps, the 4th Viscount St Davids, wrote a message on the social media site just four days after Miller won a landmark high court challenge against the government last year: | Rhodri Philipps, the 4th Viscount St Davids, wrote a message on the social media site just four days after Miller won a landmark high court challenge against the government last year: |
| “£5,000 for the first person to ‘accidentally’ run over this bloody troublesome first generation immigrant.” | “£5,000 for the first person to ‘accidentally’ run over this bloody troublesome first generation immigrant.” |
| He described Miller as a “fucking boat jumper” and added: “If this is what we should expect from immigrants, send them back to their stinking jungles.” | He described Miller as a “fucking boat jumper” and added: “If this is what we should expect from immigrants, send them back to their stinking jungles.” |
| Philipps, also known as Lord St Davids, was replying to a post about “naughty suggestions, dirty ideas and anything that will give me an orgasm” on 11 November last year. | Philipps, also known as Lord St Davids, was replying to a post about “naughty suggestions, dirty ideas and anything that will give me an orgasm” on 11 November last year. |
| He said: “Mine includes, torturing Tony Blair, Hilary Clinton, Isis, Dave (PM) the forgettable, Murdoch ... Oh and that hideous jumped up immigrant Gina Miller.’ | He said: “Mine includes, torturing Tony Blair, Hilary Clinton, Isis, Dave (PM) the forgettable, Murdoch ... Oh and that hideous jumped up immigrant Gina Miller.’ |
| Senior district judge Emma Arbuthnot found his comments about running Miller over menacing and racially aggravating. | |
| Miller said Philipps’ posts “genuinely shocked” her and made her feel “angry” “violated” and “upset” that “somebody on social media could post racist and personal words about me.” | |
| Miller also hired security guards following the threat to run her over. | Miller also hired security guards following the threat to run her over. |
| The judge also convicted 50-year-old Philipps for comments he made after reading an article about a migrant, Arthur Sube, who was reported to have turned down a five-bedroom council house for his family of eight children. | The judge also convicted 50-year-old Philipps for comments he made after reading an article about a migrant, Arthur Sube, who was reported to have turned down a five-bedroom council house for his family of eight children. |
| Following the publication of the article about Sube in September 2016, Philipps wrote: “Please will someone smoke this ghastly insult to our country? Why should I pay tax to feed these monkeys? A return to Planet of the Apes is not acceptable.” | Following the publication of the article about Sube in September 2016, Philipps wrote: “Please will someone smoke this ghastly insult to our country? Why should I pay tax to feed these monkeys? A return to Planet of the Apes is not acceptable.” |
| Arbuthnot did not find this to be menacing and acquitted Phillips of the charge related to that post. | Arbuthnot did not find this to be menacing and acquitted Phillips of the charge related to that post. |
| In a second post, he wrote: “I will open the bidding. £2,000 in cash for the first person to carve Arnold Sube into pieces, piece of shit.” Arbuthnot found this post to be menacing but not racially aggravated. | In a second post, he wrote: “I will open the bidding. £2,000 in cash for the first person to carve Arnold Sube into pieces, piece of shit.” Arbuthnot found this post to be menacing but not racially aggravated. |
| Philipps – who also holds the titles Lord Hungerford, Lord de Moleyns, and Lord Strange of Knockin – insisted he is not racist. He accepted that he had written the posts but said they were not publicly visible and were not menacing. | Philipps – who also holds the titles Lord Hungerford, Lord de Moleyns, and Lord Strange of Knockin – insisted he is not racist. He accepted that he had written the posts but said they were not publicly visible and were not menacing. |
| He told the court: “I know a number of Muslims who are dear friends. My own mother is an immigrant from the very same continent [as Miller].” | He told the court: “I know a number of Muslims who are dear friends. My own mother is an immigrant from the very same continent [as Miller].” |
| Philipps represented himself in court and admitted during his evidence that he was “incandescent” after Miller’s legal challenge. | Philipps represented himself in court and admitted during his evidence that he was “incandescent” after Miller’s legal challenge. |
| “She’s left a third-world country to come to Britain,” he added. “It’s not for first generation immigrants to behave the way Gina Miller did.” | “She’s left a third-world country to come to Britain,” he added. “It’s not for first generation immigrants to behave the way Gina Miller did.” |
| He insisted his posts were meant as “an opening for debate”, and continued: “It’s how I express myself, not for everyone’s taste or liking. | He insisted his posts were meant as “an opening for debate”, and continued: “It’s how I express myself, not for everyone’s taste or liking. |
| “If you’re in the public eye, people are going to say nasty things about you. It’s the rough and tumble of public life.” | “If you’re in the public eye, people are going to say nasty things about you. It’s the rough and tumble of public life.” |
| Arbuthnot said: “I had no doubt that the first post was menacing ... You were offering money to have her killed.” | Arbuthnot said: “I had no doubt that the first post was menacing ... You were offering money to have her killed.” |
| She said: “Looking at the language you use to Ms Miller ... ‘fucking jumper’. That is not political debate.” | She said: “Looking at the language you use to Ms Miller ... ‘fucking jumper’. That is not political debate.” |
| The judge added: “To some who don’t know you they would perceive the offers of bounty as menacing.” | The judge added: “To some who don’t know you they would perceive the offers of bounty as menacing.” |
| She said said the posts would “cause apprehension in a reasonable person reading them in this multi-racial country we live in”. | She said said the posts would “cause apprehension in a reasonable person reading them in this multi-racial country we live in”. |
| Arbuthnot found the post about Miller to be racially aggravated and told Philipps he faces a prison sentence when he is sentenced on Thursday. | Arbuthnot found the post about Miller to be racially aggravated and told Philipps he faces a prison sentence when he is sentenced on Thursday. |
| Kate Mulholland from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “This threat caused extreme concern to Gina Miller and although Lord St Davids claimed his Facebook friends would have been tolerant of his views, they were open to the public. | Kate Mulholland from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “This threat caused extreme concern to Gina Miller and although Lord St Davids claimed his Facebook friends would have been tolerant of his views, they were open to the public. |
| “No-one should have these kind of menacing comments made to them or about them and where there is evidence of an offence the CPS and police will bring a prosecution.” | “No-one should have these kind of menacing comments made to them or about them and where there is evidence of an offence the CPS and police will bring a prosecution.” |