Bognor Regis man jailed for hate crime offences
Tobias Powell will serve three years behind bars
Last updated 15th May 2021
A man from Bognor Regis has been jailed for three years for hate crime offences.
Tobias Powell, 32, of Wythering Close, was convicted of four counts of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour intending thereby to stir up racial hatred.
He was convicted at Portsmouth Crown Court yesterday (14 May).
The court had heard how Powell published a series of social media posts between July and October 2018. The posts supported right wing ideology and had racist connotations.
Powell called for civil war to stop the ethnic suicide of white people, talked about white power, and shared a picture of his tattoo containing a Nazi emblem and a picture of his dog, in which he suggested it was performing a "Nazi salute".
Further investigations found Powell's Apple user ID name was "Adolf Hitler" and he was also in possession of a number of books on white supremacy.
Detective Chief Superintendent Kath Barnes QPM, Head of CTPSE, said: “Powell clearly had toxic views. While this was not prosecuted as a terrorism case, the rhetoric shared on social media meant that it was appropriate for specialist officers from Counter Terrorism Policing to carry out the investigation.
“We are aware of a very fine line between hate speech and terrorism, but I must be clear, showing your support for a terrorist organisation is not acceptable.
“All the material found as a result of this investigation revealed Powell had a concerning mindset and, as we heard, he even used his dog to try and perpetuate his support for Nazi organisations.
“This case should serve as a clear message to others that we are committed to tackling all forms of toxic ideology.
“Groups that do not meet the threshold for proscription are not free to spread hatred, fund terrorist activity or incite violence as they please. Ideology which has the potential to threaten public safety and security will not be tolerated and we will look to prosecute those who are involved in such activity."
Chief Inspector Jon Carter, Arun and Chichester District Commander for Sussex Police, said: “This case shows the importance of thorough investigation of any use of the Internet to spread hate and dangerous material.
“The public can be reassured that there are systems in place to follow up all such reports, but it is also important to reassure local people that this was a very isolated matter for this area, and that however obnoxious Powell’s language was, there was no reference to or threat to the local community.”