A man has been jailed for a year after posting on Facebook “let’s kill every Muslim” in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing.
Keegan Jakovlevs, 22, from Wrexham, North Wales, was sentenced to 12 months behind bars at Mold Crown Court on Thursday after admitting publishing material with the intention of stirring up religious hatred.
Jakovlevs posted the message, which was a public posting, shortly after the May 22 outrage by suicide bomber Salman Abedi, which killed 22 people and injured scores of others.
His message read: “Thoughts with all the families in the horrible Manchester bombing (hands together in prayer symbol) but no let’s not stop letting them in the country let’s kill ever … Muslim … we see.. bet they would still send us down”.
Keegan Jakovlevs from Wrexham was sentenced to 12 months behind bars at Mold Crown Court (PA Archive)
The post was taken down shortly afterwards.
Outside court, Sue Hemming, head of the special crime and counter-terrorism division of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “After the Manchester attack there were countless messages of support on social media for those affected but Keegan Jakovlevs chose to stir up religious hatred by calling for British Muslims to be indiscriminately killed.
“No harmful consequences appear to have resulted but his intention was clear and he pleaded guilty once he saw the CPS’s case against him.
“People should not assume they can hide on social media when stirring up hatred and violence. Where there is evidence, the CPS will prosecute them and they will face imprisonment as a result.”