Man called for burning of migrant hotels in racist tweets
A MAN called for “slaughter in the streets” and the burning of migrant hotels in a series of racist social media posts, a court heard.
Luke Yarwood, 36 and of Gordon Way in Christchurch, portrayed extreme right wing views in a month-long spate of tweets posted online.
Prosecutor, Siobhan Linsley, said Yarwood responded to a tweet on December 21, 2024, about a driver who rammed into a German Christmas Market, killing six people and injuring more than 300.
He said: “Head for the hotels housing them and burn them to the ground.”
On January 29 Yarwood replied to a GB News post on X and said: “I think it’s time for Britain to gang together, hit the streets and start the slaughter.
“Violence and murder is the only way now.
“Start off burning every migrant hotel then head off to MP houses in Parliament.
“We need to take over by force.”
Ms Linsley said the two extreme tweets were ‘book ends’ to a series of posts which demonstrated a racist view against immigrants, asylum seekers, the religion of Islam and other monitories in society.
Following the tweet on January 29, Yarwood’s post were reported to Dorset Police by his brother-in-law.
Initially the defendant told police he had an on-going issue with someone hacking his phone, but later accepted the posts were made by him.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of publishing written material to stir up racial hatred.
Ms Linsley said the racist tweets had “striking similarities” to the case of Lucy Connolly, 42 and of Northampton, who was jailed for extremist social media posts following the Southport killings last year.
She added that Yarwood’s post were made during a time of unrest and protests across the country regarding asylum seekers.
Mitigating, Nick Tucker, said: “This was the impenitent rantings of a socially isolated man with fragile mental health.”
Mr Tucker said Yarwood suffers with physical and mental health after recovering from alcoholism, and now volunteers at a hospital to support young people with addiction.
“He has acknowledged that his views were uneducated, ignorant and odious,” said Mr Tucker.
He added that the defendant “is not at heart a racist”.
Judge Jonathan Fuller KC said Yarwood had an “obsession with Islam” and “extremely right-wing views”.
“You are fully entitled to express your views but freedom of speech is not an absolute right, it is qualified and for good reasons,” said Judge Fuller.
“The law prohibits stirring up racial hatred.”
He added that this level of incitement could have endangered lives and were made at a particularly sensitive time.
Yarwood was jailed for 18 months.
Far-Right Criminals 