back to article Neo-Nazi man jailed for anti-Semitic Twitter campaign against MP

A Somerset neo-Nazi with a history of sending false, malicious and racially abusive messages over the internet has been jailed for targeting a Jewish Labour MP. Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a 24-year-old man from Yeovil, Somerset, was sentenced to two years in prison yesterday after having been found guilty of targeting Liverpool …

  1. Rich 11

    Schadenfreude

    “You are currently serving a sentence of 40 months imprisonment, imposed on 17th December 2015 for stirring up racial hatred against the Jewish community in Golders Green. That offence was committed whilst you were on bail for the present offence, which in turn was committed whilst you were on bail for other offences of sending malicious communications over the internet and harassment,”

    There is definitely a pleasure to be taken in knowing that bigoted idiots like this can be so monumentally self-destructive that they practically walk into prison by themselves.

    1. Voland's right hand Silver badge

      Re: Schadenfreude

      Prison is supposed to be a correctional facility. It is quite clearly not capable of correcting this individual.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Schadenfreude

        It's also there to protect the public.

      2. DrXym

        Re: Schadenfreude

        "Prison is supposed to be a correctional facility. It is quite clearly not capable of correcting this individual."

        In which case he can repeatedly enjoy the delights found there within.

      3. Rich 11

        Re: Schadenfreude

        Prison is supposed to be a correctional facility. It is quite clearly not capable of correcting this individual.

        Because rehabiliatation programs have been slashed whenever prison service funding has been cut. All the evidence points to rehabilitation being the most effective answer to recidivism, but successive governments keep running scared of the tabloids and never end up making significant improvements to both prison and public programs. And we're the ones who pay the price, both literally and figuratively.

    2. DaveDaveDave

      Re: Schadenfreude

      That's quite nice, but doesn't do anything about the ones who aren't complete and utter morons. For every idiotic thug like this, there's a Griffin or Corbyn speaking very carefully.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    You must not delete the internet history on any of the devices.

    Given recent legislation that last bit is redundent.

    1. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Re: You must not delete the internet history on any of the devices.

      You must not use private browsing mode?

      You must not use AAISP or a VPN based abroad?

      1. Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese Silver badge

        Re: You must not use private browsing mode?

        You must not use private browsing mode?

        Correct, I believe. IIRC correctly there was a story a few weeks ago where somebody had a similar order against him and he got prosecuted because he'd subsequently been using private browsing mode to look at things on the interwebs (possibly browsing other people's privates, given the nature of his initial offence)

        1. Adam 52 Silver badge

          Re: You must not use private browsing mode?

          That was different. That case was a sexual offences prevention order, or a pre-crime sentence in other words (although in that case it was also post-conviction). It explicitly prevented using a device that doesn't retain history. This order prohibits deletion, not quite the same thing.

  3. MrRimmerSIR!

    Sometimes it's difficult to see

    Where the border is between twatdom and insanity lies.

    1. Hollerithevo

      Re: Sometimes it's difficult to see

      Yes, this guy is one sick puppy. If it hadn't been Jews it would have been something else, because he seems to have been born (or made early into) a twisted individual. I suspect he will go from here to mental health custody at some point. I hope so, before he wrecks more lives and the civil peace of our community.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    A pain in the boner and head?

    1. Hollerithevo

      The name almost wrote itself

      By name, by nature.

      1. TitterYeNot
        Coat

        Re: The name almost wrote itself

        Yes, a name like that is almost poetic...

        There was a twat called Bonehead-Pain,

        Who twatted again and again,

        His vicious vile spewing,

        Caused his own undoing,

        And now he's securely detained.

        <Coughs> Must be Friday again...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Classic case of Nominative Determinism. Almost as good as having A Roger Vigilance head your company's security division.

  5. Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse

    No issues with the sentencing, but...

    It doesn't appear that either prison, detention or the supposed rehabilitiation that those facilities are supposed to provide are being much of a deterrent does it?

    I feel a small island off of the coast of Siberia would be a much better place.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: No issues with the sentencing, but...

      I feel a small island off of the coast of Siberia would be a much better place.

      Save the air fare...I can think of some islands closer to home, like the one off the coast of Scotland that's infected with anthrax...or one of the ones that the RAF routinely use for live bombing practice

      1. John Riddoch

        Re: No issues with the sentencing, but...

        I assume you mean Gruinard Island for the Anthrax island - that has been decontaminated and deemed safe now.

        1. Jemma

          Re: No issues with the sentencing, but...

          For a given value of safe.., I wouldn't want to do a garden makeover show there (although we had a live grenade waiting for us when we moved into a new build bungalow when I was around 10)..

          Anthrax is nasty stuff, as a Russian gentleman by the name of Boris Yeltsin found out..

      2. Chris King

        Re: No issues with the sentencing, but...

        And Garvie Island for the bombs ?

      3. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

        Re: No issues with the sentencing, but...

        Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse: "I feel a small island off of the coast of Siberia would be a much better place."

        Re by AC: "Save the air fare...I can think of some islands closer to home [...]"

        Well, I'm at loath to point this out, but technically he already is on a fairly small island off the coast of a continent.

    2. Elmer Phud

      Re: No issues with the sentencing, but...

      Possibly not, many of the twat-right see Vlad as a hero for his stance on how 'unnatural' homosexuality is.

      He'd be a fekkin' hero.

    3. Len
      Coat

      Re: No issues with the sentencing, but...

      Perhaps Theresa May can make him Foreign Secretary. It is a role where he'll be travelling a lot and can't do much harm.

      1. Jemma

        Re: No issues with the sentencing, but...

        No chance, he's far too left wing..

    4. veti Silver badge

      Re: No issues with the sentencing, but...

      Not a good idea. Consider this.

      When you're in line to be thrown into jail on some random charge that you don't even have the right to question in court - then, I'm guessing, you'd be pretty glad to have defended the principle that prisoners should be treated humanely.

      We can't stop them from spying on us. But we can avoid making it even worse.

  6. Timmy B

    As I live in Yeovil...

    The antics of this prat are quite well known to me (local papers regularly feature him), and all at home had a bit of a chuckle that he's going to be in prison for a while.The town is well off without him for a bit. It's still a dump but just a little bit better. He won't learn though as he approaches his racism with a religious fervour that is only reinforced by him, how his mind will surely twist it, being imprisoned for his worthy fight.

    Really we should find a deserted island for him and his ilk.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Meh

      Re: As I live in Yeovil...

      Would you volunteer to determine which people fit your 'ilk' description? Would I fall into that category, in your estimation? Sure would be nice to be able to ship everyone who thinks and speaks wrongly to some terrible far-off place, amirite?

      Note that I'm not defending this guy. I'm only pointing out how the prevalent attitude displayed on this thread naturally leads to such punishment being meted out for less and less cause. It's happened before, often to the very people who originally were cheering for it. Witness the old Soviet Union and the packed Siberian gulags filled with "counter-revolutionaries."

      I suppose it's human nature to want to destroy anyone who thinks differently, and demonizing them is just a tool in service to that destruction. I understand that's what's happening to Geert Wilders right now, for the crime of suggesting too many foreigners were being allowed to come into his country.

      1. Graham Marsden
        Alert

        Re: As I live in Yeovil...

        For once I actually find myself agreeing with Big John (well, all except his last sentence, because Wilders has tried to demonize others by calling for a ban on the Koran and comparing Islam to Nazism which rather undermines his position...)

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: As I live in Yeovil...

          Islam doesn't need Wilder's help being demonic. Not the fundamentalist version, anyway. Y'know, the one outlined in the Koran. And lest anyone think I'm being outrageous, recall that Islam is the only major religion that endorses lying within its founding document. Against Infidels to be sure, but lying nonetheless.

          Any religion that officially allows lying to others in any form is inherently faulty. Or, am I just not enlightened enough to understand?

          1. Rich 11

            Re: As I live in Yeovil...

            Any religion that officially allows lying to others in any form is inherently faulty.

            That reminds me of the Christian fundamentalists who think it's OK to lie for Jesus, because saving someone's soul is more important than living up the moral standards of their founder in the process. It's not too big a leap from there to shooting a doctor at a women's health clinic.

            The problem is the fundamentalist mindset, regardless of whether it comes from a Christian or an Islamic background. Any ideology can spawn this, political as well as religious.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: As I live in Yeovil...

              "Any religion that officially allows lying to others in any form is inherently faulty."

              What about an Act of Parliament that sanctions lying to the courts?

          2. Tom Paine

            Re: As I live in Yeovil...

            Read Leviticus.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: As I live in Yeovil...

        @ Big John

        You've obviously never been to Yeovile, then. As someone who also lives in Yeovil (but not born here), I can confirm that the town is full of in-bred fuckwits who are a waste of oxygen.

        It isn't a case of wanting to destroy somone who thinks differently, I'm not sure they actually are capable of thought beyond "me drink!! me hate!! me smash!!".

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: As I live in Yeovil...

          Breaking all the rules by replying to my own post, but - to those who down voted me without leaving a reply, either you have never been to Yeovile or you are one of the inbred fuckwits who infest the town.

        2. Timmy B

          Re: As I live in Yeovil...

          AC.... yep - I can tell you really do live here. Your description is spot on.

      3. Timmy B

        Re: As I live in Yeovil...

        If you look, Big John, I do say that I have seen many examples of his behaviour in the local press. A quick look on Somerset Live website (you really need an ad-blocker or you will get really angry) and search for his name you will find a few.

        His ilk is anyone who shares his views and actions, and these are plain and clear from the public record. Simple really.

  7. lukewarmdog

    Guessing from the downvotes he has managed to get himself a phone.

  8. Buzzword

    Two years?

    He'd have received a shorter sentence if he had actually beaten up the guy, rather than just writing mean tweets. (For example: http://www.cps.gov.uk/northeast/cps_northumbria_news/four_sentenced_for_racial_assault/ )

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Two years?

      without the full facts I can't tell.

      They admitted guilt.

      Had they had previous conviction?

      Were they already on bail for a similar crime?

      I'm not defending their actions, but it may account for the disparity.

    2. Richard 26

      Re: Two years?

      "He'd have received a shorter sentence if he had actually beaten up the guy"

      He'd have received a shorter sentence if he hadn't been a serial offender and committed further offences whilst on bail.

  9. Chris G

    El Reg reader?

    I wonder who the ultra right twat is that has down voted every critism of this baby nazi? Can El Reg be accessed from prison or is it just another twat?

    I am not so much anti- right (or left) just anti- twat.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: El Reg reader?

      probably Jemma below. just a wild stab in the dark

      1. Jemma

        Re: El Reg reader?

        Sorry to disappoint but I'm not anti Jewish, I'm anti propoganda. I was taught that a historical event and the discussion thereof should not be one sided. The majority of the coverage of the Shoah has been, or at least any of it I've seen on "historical" TV and the like. If you don't get both sides of the story then the story is worthless. But then people like you probably think Ramasses II was the Pharaoh of the Exodus (Spoilers: he wasn't).

        It's always struck me as ironic but when I was at university I knew a Jewish girl who'd go completely bursar if someone mentioned Hitler, yet failed to realise that but for him, she probably wouldn't have existed, and the person she very nearly got together with certainty wouldn't have. IE me. I don't agree with the holocaust and the policies behind it (hell the Nazi's idolised the Spartans, not that anyone told them or thought to mention that by even 3rd Reich standards they were the biggest bunch of gays and kiddie fiddlers ever to grace the planet outside of modern British football), it was a war crime true enough, but if you are going to harp on about it - at least be honest and employ scrupulously checked sources.

        In some ways its a shame people aren't better educated about Jewish history from way back before they left (possibly got kicked out of the area that they'd co-invaded) because it's not as black and white as we've been led to believe, I was at school less than two decades ago, and we were taught the holocaust just appeared out of nowhere, spontaneously, to give the Jews a really bad decade or so. Not the case, the lines of causation go waaaay back to some really peculiar places, hell, nowadays kids probably think Reinhard Heydrich is occasional character on South Park!

        I'm not going to waste my time arguing with you, I honestly have other more important things to do, but if you have time look into a chap by the name of Bernadotte (and how the kids he saved were treated by their fellow citizens) and another by the name of Simon bar Kokba (who knows you might learn something).

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: El Reg reader?

          > Sorry to disappoint but I'm not anti Jewish, I'm anti propoganda.

          It's spelled propaganda.

          > I was taught that a historical event and the discussion thereof should not be one sided

          Agreed.

          > The majority of the coverage of the Shoah has been, or at least any of it I've seen on "historical" TV and the like.

          Yes, I can see where you are coming from.

          > I knew a Jewish girl who'd go completely bursar if someone mentioned Hitler

          One thing you need to understand, this *is* actually an emotional subject for the community and for us as individuals. Try to understand that, rather than jumping to judgement.

          > In some ways its a shame people aren't better educated

          Yup. You want "it's" (it is), not the neuter third person singular possessive, by the way.

          > about Jewish history from way back before they left (possibly got kicked out of the area that they'd co-invaded) because it's not as black and white as we've been led to believe

          I thought you said you were "not anti Jewish" and "anti propoganda" [sic]. Are you sure?

          > I'm not going to waste my time arguing with you

          Thank you.

          It would certainly be interesting and no doubt beneficial to delve a bit more into why people need an enemy (cf. Umberto Eco, "Inventing the enemy" for an amusing take on this) and why they think it's fine to go and hate other people (enmity does not imply hate). In that sense, yes, there is a lot more than could be learned from the events in Germany, Italy, Spain, Yugoslavia, and elsewhere in the last century, as well as current events such as the Brexit campaign.

          But you, sir, sound like a xenophobe to me.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: El Reg reader?

            And you sir, are an Anonymous Coward. I see no xenophobia in Jemma's post, so I guess that makes me one too?

        2. Dr_N

          Re: El Reg reader?

          "I'm not going to waste my time arguing with you, I honestly have other more important things to do"

          As highlighted by multiple, epic-length, ad nauseum posts on the subject?

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: El Reg reader?

            > "As highlighted by multiple, epic-length, ad nauseum posts on the subject?"

            Now be fair. Those screeds could have been posted by other anonymous cowards.

        3. Jeffrey Nonken

          Re: El Reg reader?

          "...I knew a Jewish girl who'd go completely bursar if someone mentioned Hitler, yet failed to realise that but for him, she probably wouldn't have existed..."

          And I know a Jewish girl who feels survivor guilt because if her mother's first husband hadn't been murdered in the Camps, she wouldn't have existed either. But thanks for cherry picking the data.

        4. SVV

          Re: El Reg reader?

          "a historical event and the discussion thereof should not be one sided."

          What's the "other side" of the most appalling crime in human history we should discuss then?

          "if someone mentioned Hitler, yet failed to realise that but for him, she probably wouldn't have existed"

          well, this Jewish girl must be really stupid not to be grateful for Hitler then. How has this person got a silver badge?

          "they were the biggest bunch of gays and kiddie fiddlers"

          Yeh, cos gay people are all peodos aren't they in your demented worldview.

          "it was a war crime true enough, but if you are going to harp on about it "

          Yep, you can come on here ranting at length about Jewish people and parroting racist conspiracy theories, and you even admit that the murder of 6 million peole was a crime (although I'm guessing you're one of those idiots who dispute the figures). But people shpuld stop "harping on about it" and listen to your shit instead so they get a "balanced view"?

          "I was at school less than two decades ago, and we were taught the holocaust just appeared out of nowhere, spontaneously".

          Well, I was at school more than 2 decades ago, and we were taught the historical context and history of antisemitism. So you are either too stupid to have paid attention, lying or you went to some weird school of nazi conspiracy theories.

          1. Triggerfish

            Re: El Reg reader?

            What's the "other side" of the most appalling crime in human history we should discuss then?

            I dunno trying to work out this as well, I started at Simon Bar Kokbra, but realised the poster was citing someone born 132CE as an example of why we shouldn't trust the Jews. I thought meh. I'll just stick with thinking attempted genocide is bad ta.

            I'm not going to waste my time arguing with you, I honestly have other more important things to do

            You never came up with anything to argue with, you just relied on hinting at rumours and think that's a good enough reason for your ideals and for us to trust your worldview, frankly I find that a bit lacking.

        5. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          completely bursar

          I take it you weren't actually a student when you were "at University"?

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    the irony of this half-wit having a name (Joshua) of Jewish origin should not be lost on anyone!

    1. Jemma

      Re: Ironic

      It would have been slightly more ironic if the majority of names in Christian states didn't derive from the Bible.. Still there are more incongruous possibilities..

      I think it was the double barrelled surname that predicted the fact of what this little twerp would become. Some people should really think about changing their names before they have kids, there's probably some poor kid called Belle Enderby rattling around somewhere in Yorkshire (and you can guarantee her parents won't see the issue)... (or the poor kid who's mum named him Taliesin, and sent him to a C of E school..).

      To paraphrase monkey dust:

      "Where's Taliesin?"

      "He's face down in the toilet Miss, with a curtain rod jammed up his arse"

      1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

        Re: Ironic

        "or the poor kid who's mum named him Taliesin, and sent him to a C of E school."

        I take it you don't know about Taliesin. Google is your friend.

  11. tiggity Silver badge

    Browsing history

    They need to word their restrictions better.

    I do not use private browsing mode in my browser..

    However my general history settings are to have UNTICKED

    Remember my browsing and download history

    Remember search and form history

    So there is no history present.

    The instructions all seem based on ludicrous idea of vanilla browser use.

    What do they do if you use a browser incapable of storing history (e.g. not hard to grab open source browser code and with a few changes create a browser that does not allow history to be ever set)

    1. Hans 1
      Happy

      Re: Browsing history

      >What do they do if you use a browser incapable of storing history (e.g. not hard to grab open source browser code and with a few changes create a browser that does not allow history to be ever set)

      Crap, simply put your browser cache in a RAM disk, for speed efficiency ... works very well ...

      I kept it, your honour, but the bugger computer keeps forgetting it every time I reboot, your honour, and I do not know why, your honour ....

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Well

    "That offence was committed whilst you were on bail for the present offence, which in turn was committed whilst you were on bail for other offences"

    Is he doing some sort of live experiment on recursion?

    1. Jeffrey Nonken

      Re: Well

      "Is he doing some sort of live experiment on recursion?"

      Nope, he just doesn't know the First Rule of Holes.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Jailtime for libel?

    Really? I get that he's a horrible excuse for a human being and what he was saying was nothing more than offensive propaganda which I don't any any way support, but dang it freedom of speech is important. This is especially true when the speech in question is expressing opinions of political figures. Heap fines on him for libel sure, let the MP in question sue for defamation absolutely, but saying mean things, even untrue mean things, about someone should under no circumstances carry a jail time punishment.

    1. Chris G

      Re: Jailtime for libel?

      This has nothing to do with libel, he committed a hate crime.

      Whether it is a Jewish person, a politician, gay person or anyone else, openly encourageing others to bombard someone with hateful tweets and emails is 'inciting hatred' a crime in the UK.

      I was surprised that the maximum sentence was only two years though, still, it will give him time to think.

      1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

        Re: Jailtime for libel?

        "still, it will give him time to think."

        But will he?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Jailtime for libel?

          "But will he?"

          If some one teaches him how, there's no evidence of it so far ....

    2. Adam 52 Silver badge

      Re: Jailtime for libel?

      They went with harassment, but there are numerous possible crimes in England. Malicious communication and Public Order are the two that come to mind.

      I think harassment was the right choice to be honest, otherwise your argument is a good one - people should be able to make their political views known to their MP. But thousands of times a day, probably not.

      Don't like the rider on the sentence though, that does smack of infringing the rights of free expression and privacy.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Jailtime for libel?

      From what I read, it looks like he continued to seriously harass the MP after an earlier suspended sentence for harassment, so the judge had enough and sentenced him to jail, but the racism comments are nonsense (see below), and all anti-hate laws are unnecessary, dubious victim, PC corruption for issues more fairly handled by harassment, slander, and libel law.

      It is often ignorance or sophistry (violation of set theory) to refer to racism for anti-religious behaviour, even if only a single race practices that religion (rare), this is definitely the case for all the major religions because they are all practised by multiple races e.g. Jewish scientists have proved that most Jews are not genetically Semites, but rather Ashkenazis or other European race converts/descendants, with little or no genetic Semite intermixing i.e multiple races! Unfortunately some Jewish and Islamic lobby organisations, and the some Socialists, cynically work to obscure this clear distinction, so corrupt politics and the law.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Jailtime for libel?

        > It is often ignorance or sophistry (violation of set theory) to refer to racism for anti-religious behaviour

        Being Jewish is more about a shared national identity than it is about religion. Yes, xenophobia may be a better term etymologically speaking, but we all know what is meant when someone calls you a racist¹.

        > Genes, races [blah blah blah]

        Yes mate, we actually know that the concept of "race" in a human context is nonsense as we're all a single species and that its usage in this respect is a bit of colonial era relic. That's precisely why we can now use "racism" as a quasi-synonym for many forms of discrimination without impeding understanding.

        > all anti-hate laws are unnecessary

        Ever found yourself on the receiving end of hatred?

        ¹ Ok, apart from this friend of mine who competes in various forms of timed sporting events so he calls himself a professional racist.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why do we need a separate law for antisemitic and racism?

    I would assume they are the same thing.

    1. Adam 52 Silver badge

      Depends if you consider anti-Semitic as being anti-Judaism the religion or anti-Jew the race. Neither of which is anti-zionist, whatever Israel would like.

      Shouldn't matter too much as most of our laws prohibit religious intolerance the same as racial intolerance.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "Shouldn't matter too much as most of our laws prohibit religious intolerance the same as racial intolerance."

        It shouldn't matter, but sadly it does, mostly down to tabloid abuse of language, where any offence against a religion is frequently labelled racism. Then again, that's the same group of writers who used race to define nationality when it came to some recent offences against people from some of our Europe neighbours. They are all inexcusable, heinous even, but not all racism, or all anti-religious, or all xenophobic. Unless, of course, the writer is lazy or thinks their readers are too stupid to be told a full story.

  15. Florida1920
    Headmaster

    Neo-Nazi punk

    FTFY. He's not a "man."

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'm sure he loves prison, he can be as racist as he wants.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

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