Cheshire woman who called for mosques to be "blown up" on Facebook jailed
Julie Sweeny from Church Lawton wrote the posts during riots which went on across the country
Last updated 14th Aug 2024
A 53-year-old woman who lived a "quiet, sheltered life" has been jailed for 15 months after she posted an online message stating: "Blow the mosque up with the adults in it."
Julie Sweeney sent the comment on August 3 to a local community Facebook group from her home in Church Lawton, Cheshire, which was later reported to the police.
On Wednesday she pleaded guilty at Chester Crown Court to sending a communication to convey a threat of death or serious harm.
Julie Sweeney was arrested, Chester Crown Court heard, and told officers: "I'm not being rude but there are a lot of people saying it."
She said she posted the comment "in anger", had "no intention to put people in fear" and conceded it was "unacceptable" and that she would be "deleting Facebook".
John Keane, defending, said: "She accepts it was stupid. This was a single comment on a single day.
"She lives a quiet, sheltered life in Cheshire and has not troubled the courts in her long life. Her character references show she lives a kind and compassionate lifestyle. She has been primary carer for her husband since 2015.
"This conduct is firmly out of character for her and she has shown genuine remorse.
"This offence was committed on her computer in the safety of her own home and unfortunately pressing 'send' for her is going to have dire consequences."
Sentencing, Judge Steven Everett, the Honorary Recorder of Chester, said: "I don't think anyone is suggesting that the defendant would have been involved in that herself but so-called keyboard warriors like her have to learn to take responsibility for their language - particularly in the context of the disorder that was going on around the country."