No evidence for ‘Jew hating’ troll
A self-confessed internet troll accused of bombarding a Jewish Labour MP with anti-Semitic abuse declined to give evidence in his defence today.
Joshua Bonehill-Paine, 23, allegedly branded Luciana Berger, 35, ‘a rodent’, ‘evil’, a ‘money-grabber’, a ‘dominatrix’ and claimed she was responsible for Jesus’s death.
He is said to have targeted her after far-right extremist Garron Helm, 23, was jailed for four weeks for tweeting: ‘You can always count on a Jew to show their true colours eventually #Labour #Liverpool #HitlerWasRight.’
The Liverpool Wavertree MP victim told jurors she was left feeling ‘sick’ and in fear for her safety as she received more than 2,500 abusive tweets as part of a wider campaign dubbed ‘Operation Filthy Jew B***h’.
The prosecution closed its case today (Tues) and Bonehill-Paine’s barrister, James Palfrey said: ‘The defendant will not be giving evidence in this case.’
The judge, Mr Justice Spencer, said: ‘Mr Palfrey, I’m required to ask have you advised your client that the stage has now been reached where he may give evidence.
‘If he chooses not to…the jury may draw such inferences as they feel is proper from his failure to do so.’
The lawyer confirmed his client had been so advised.
Bonehill-Paine is accused of racially aggravated harassment of Ms Berger over five ‘insulting and hateful’ articles posted between 26 October 2014 and 25 January last year.
Four of the articles were published on an online newspaper founded by Bonehill-Paine called ‘The Daily BALE (Britain Against Left-wing Extremism)’, which describes itself as ‘Britain’s No.1 Nationalist Newspaper’.
The articles were entitled ‘Racist anti-white Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger exposed’, ‘Is the Labour part a Jewish party’, ‘ZOG attacks Daily Stormer in retaliation to successful Berger campaign’ and ‘Joshua Bonehill: on the eve of the battle’ –
A fifth, headlined ‘The Legacy of Operation Filthy Jew Bitch’, was posted on his personal website ‘joshuabonehill.net’.
Delivering his closing speech to the Old Bailey jury, prosecutor Philip Stott said: ‘Mr Bonehill-Paine is not on trial for being a racist, that is not a crime.
‘He is not on trial for expressing racist views, that is not a crime.
‘That is part of his right to free speech.’
But he added: ‘What he is on trial for is harassing a particular individual and doing so in a way demonstrating racial hostility towards her.’
Bonehill-Paine, of no fixed address but originally from from Yeovil, Somerset, denies racially aggravated harassment.
The trial continues.
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