Man jailed for Facebook posts encouraging violence

A man has been jailed for 20 months for encouraging people on social media to attack a hotel in Leeds housing more than 200 migrants.

Jordan Parlour made Facebook posts on 4 August with the intention of sparking tensions while anti-immigration demonstrations were taking place nationwide, Leeds Crown Court heard on Friday.

Parlour had pleaded guilty at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to using threatening, abusive or insulting words in the posts.

The 28-year-old, from Seacroft, is the first person to face prosecution for posting allegedly criminal messages linked to the violence.

Leeds Crown Court heard how Parlour wrote a Facebook status on Sunday morning which suggested that "every man and his dog" should target the Britannia Hotel in Seacroft.

He also claimed in a comment on Facebook that migrants were given "the Life of Riley off the tax us hard-working people earn when it could be put to better use".

At the time of Parlour's posts, the Britannia Hotel was housing 210 migrants, prosecutor Matthew Donkin said.

Over the weekend, staff there had reported that damage had been caused to the bedroom windows where some guests had been staying.

The hotel was locked down on Saturday night to protect those living there, Mr Donkin told the court.

Due to the damage and Parlour's post, which came to the attention of staff on Sunday evening after a hotel in Rotherham was attacked, West Yorkshire Police deployed five units to the premises, Leeds Crown Court heard.

A total of 18 officers and one inspector attended the scene and reassurance patrols were conducted throughout the night and the following day.

The court was told that Parlour was arrested in the early hours of Monday and he admitted to the offence during an interview with police.

Mr Donkin said the defendant "recognised how stupid he had been writing comments and said he could understand that might have incited further violence" during an interview with officers.

The status was sent out to his 1,500 Facebook friends and could have been shared more widely because of his limited privacy settings, the court heard.

In a victim impact statement, the boss of the Britannia Hotel said security measures had been stepped up since last weekend.

Staff were "severely anxious, stressed and worried about what will happen when they come on shift", the manager's statement added.

Mitigating, Nicholas Hammond said his client had no intention of taking part in violence as he had a broken foot, nor was he affiliated to any political group.

"They were his own stupid and irresponsible posts," he said.

A character reference written by Parlour's mother in defence of her son said: "We can only speculate that he has been caught up and swept away by emotions circulating throughout the country."

Sentencing Parlour, the Recorder of Leeds, His Honour Judge Guy Kearl, told him: "Your intention was to incite violence.

"You were encouraging others to attack a hotel which you know was occupied by refugees and asylum seekers."

Judge Kearl said the offence was aggravated by "the timing of your posts, at a time of social unrest and particular sensitivity across the country".

A custodial sentence was therefore "unavoidable", he added.

Parlour was told he must serve half of his sentence in custody.

Wearing a grey tracksuit, he let out an exasperated sigh as he was taken down to the cells.

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