Facebook user who encouraged people to attack hotel housing refugees jailed

A Facebook user who encouraged people to attack a hotel housing asylum seekers as disorder broke out in a number of towns told police he believed immigrants “rape our kids and get priority”, a judge who jailed him heard.

Jordan Parlour, 28, became the first person to be sent to prison for stirring up racial hatred during the recent widespread disorder across the country when he was jailed for 20 months at Leeds Crown Court on Friday.

A judge heard how Parlour targeted the Britannia Hotel in Seacroft, Leeds, where 210 asylum seekers and refugees were living and had already been targeted by people throwing missiles and breaking windows on Saturday morning, forcing it into “lockdown”.

On Sunday morning, the defendant posted on Facebook: “Every man and their dog should be smashing f*** out Britannia Hotel.”

When someone replied “Why”, Parlour posted: “Because they’re over here, given Life of Riley off the tax us hard working people earn, when it could be put to better use. Come over here with no work visa, no trade to their name and sit down and doss and then there’s more people being put out homeless each year, they get top band priority on housing and many more other reasons.”

The court heard further damage was done to the hotel after the post and more than a dozen police had to be diverted to the area over the weekend.

Nicholas Hammond, defending, told the judge his client was “not part of any sinister group activity designed to stir up violence” and was “not affiliated with any group”.

The court heard that Parlour’s mother wrote a letter to court which said: “We can only speculate he’s been caught up and swept away by emotions circulating throughout the country.”

The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl KC, accepted Parlour took no part in the violence.

He noted that the defendant had told interviewing police that he posted the message “as a result of anger and frustration at immigration problems in the country”.

The judge told Parlour: “You went on to say that you did not want your money going to immigrants who ‘rape our kids and get priority’.”

Judge Kearl said: “You were encouraging others to attack a hotel which you knew was occupied by refugees and asylum seekers.

“The overall effect of your post was to incite violence towards the building and therefore towards those in the hotel.

“It was not only the refugees and asylum seekers who were likely to be affected by your post, but also the hotel managers, the night porters and those who worked within the hotel.”

He said: “Your position is aggravated by the timing of your post, namely that it was at a time of social unrest and particular sensitivity across the country.”

Parlour, of Brooklands Close, Leeds, admitted publishing written material intended to stir racial hatred earlier this week.

Also at Leeds Crown Court on Friday, Judge Kearl jailed 30-year-old Jordan Plain, who was filmed making monkey gestures and shouting “rubber lips” towards black and Asian people as hundreds of people took part in rival demonstrations in Leeds city centre, for eight months.

Video footage was played at Leeds Crown Court on Friday showing Plain making gestures and shouting abuse at the front of the anti-immigration rally outside the city’s art gallery on Saturday afternoon.

This rally took place in front of hundreds of anti-racism protesters, separated by lines of police.

At one point Plain was filmed with others mocking Muslim prayers.

Plain, of Broadway Horsforth, admitted racially aggravated harassment earlier this week. He told a probation officer he was “ashamed of what he had done and it should never have happened”.

The court heard he told probation that he was out drinking in Leeds when he came across the demonstration while he was “six-out-of-10 intoxicated”.

Sarata Sawo, who was at the anti-racism protest, read out a personal impact statement to the court detailing how Plain’s actions left her feeling unwelcome in the city where she has lived all her life.

Judge Kearl told Plain: “You climbed onto a barrier and started to make monkey noises and gestures towards the counter protestors whose numbers included people of colour, saying that they looked like monkeys.

“On several occasions, you rubbed your lips and shouted ‘rubber lips’. You were standing alongside and in the same group as others who were making similarly racist and insulting comments.

“You got down off the barrier and started to imitate the manner in which Muslim people pray, in order to mock their religion.

“This was grossly offensive, racist language and behaviour which caused alarm and distress to others, in particular Ms Sawo, who has had the courage to come to court to tell me and others, including you, how she felt and how she feels.

“To summarise only, she was scared, anxious, traumatised by your behaviour.”

Judge Kearl said: “What you have done cannot be viewed in isolation. It must be viewed against the background of unrest and disorder in the country.

“This was your contribution to that disorder. Your conduct and that of your group was designed to stir up hatred.”

Earlier, Judge Kearl jailed Sameer Ali, 21, and Adnan Ghafoor, 31, for 20 months and 18 months respectively for an attack on “pro-EDL” protesters after Saturday’s rival demos in Leeds city centre.

The court was shown CCTV footage of a group of Asian men kicking and punching a smaller group of four white men, one of whom was draped in a Union flag and wearing a Union flag mask, on Saturday.