‘Vile, racist troll’ who harassed Labour MP Luciana Berger online with a hate campaign jailed for 2 years
Joshua Bonehill-Paine wrote a series of hate-filled blogs about the Liverpool Wavertree MP
A "RACIST, vile" troll has been sentenced to two years in jail after being found guilty of racially harassing a Jewish Labour MP.
Joshua Bonehill-Paine wrote a series of hate-filled blogs about the Liverpool Wavertree MP Luciana Berger.
The jury at the Old Bailey found him guilty of racially aggravated harassment earlier today, and gave him the maximum sentence.
The 24-year-old, from Yeovil, Somerset, already had a history of online abuse.
The Jury were not told that Bonehill-Paine is already serving three years and four months after distributing a flyer for a Neo-Nazi rally in North London, illustrated with pictures from Auschwitz death camp. Both sentences are to run consecutively.
He did not give evidence, but occasionally smirked when the court was in session.
A jury heard that Bonehill-Paine described Ms Berger as "evil", a "money-grabber" and was responsible for the death of Jesus Christ.
He also made videos saying that North London had been "occupied" by 50,000 Jews in an example of "successful white genocide".
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The MP said how she was receiving thousands of abusive messages a day online and feared for her safety.
"I felt incredibly troubled - very concerned," she said. "When I saw them, it made me feel sick.
“I was more concerned for my personal safety than at any time since I was elected as an MP.”
And while sending him down for another two years today, Mr Justice Spencer told him that he had "amassed a formidable record of hate crime" at such a young age.
He added: "This was gravely oppressive racially aggravated harassment of the worst kind."
Bonehill-Paine had written blogs in support of jailed far-right extremist Garron Helm, who had told her she would "get it like Jo Cox did."
The court had heard he was a "committed proponent of anti-Semitic views" who rallied against "anti-white genocide" being carried out by Jewish politicians.
Officers will monitor his online communications for the next five years.
"It is abundantly clear from all the evidence in the case and the material I have been provided with that he is tenacious in his use of the internet as a retaliatory weapon against anyone with whom he wishes to pick a dispute," Mr Spencer said.