The judges emphasizes that Birley’s participation in the riots driven by “malicious and ignorant posts” on social media, forcing him to participate in ignorant, racist attempts
LONDON: A British man, Thomas Birley, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for his involvement in an arson attack at a hotel housing asylum seekers last month. This marks the longest sentence imposed in connection with a series of anti-Muslim riots that recently shook parts of northern England.
Birley, 27, pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life after igniting a fire in a bin placed by an entranceway to the hotel near Rotterdam on August 4. Prosecutor Elisha Kay detailed the dangerous circumstances, explaining that Birley had added wood to an already blazing industrial bin positioned in front of a fire door while hotel staff and guests were trapped inside. The staff, fearing for their lives, barricaded themselves in a panic room, convinced they were about to perish in the flames.
In addition to arson, Birley pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon. At his sentencing at Sheffield Crown Court, Judge Jeremy Richardson condemned Birley’s actions, stating that his attack was “suffused with racism from beginning to end.” The judge emphasized that Birley’s participation in the riots had been driven by “malicious and ignorant posts” on social media, making him a “leading participant in ignorant, racist attempts at mob rule.”
The arson occurred during a wave of unrest that saw about 400 people targeting the hotel as part of ongoing riots, sparked by misinformation and racial hatred. The unrest followed the tragic deaths of three young girls in the town of Southport on July 29. False online rumors that blamed the killings on an Islamist migrant fueled widespread outrage and rioting. Violence, arson, looting, and racist attacks erupted across the country in the aftermath, leading to around 1,300 arrests and the imprisonment of approximately 200 people.
Until Birley’s sentencing, the longest sentence handed down in connection with the riots was six years for violent disorder. Several individuals have also faced charges for inciting racial or religious hatred online, reflecting the broader social media-fueled violence that has gripped parts of the country. Judge Richardson’s sentencing of Birley sets a significant precedent for future cases involving racially motivated violence and underscores the courts’ intolerance for such crimes.
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