Internet bigot Stephen Birrell facing prison term (UK)

A man is facing a jail term for posting sectarian comments about Catholics and Celtic fans on a Facebook page called "Neil Lennon Should be Banned".

Stephen Birrell, 28, from Gallowgate, Glasgow, admitted posting the religiously prejudiced abuse between 28 February and 8 March this year.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard how he was caught after a police crackdown on sectarian internet campaigns.

Sentence on Birrell was deferred and he was told to expect a prison term.

The court heard how Birrell committed the offences just days after being released earlier from a 12-month jail sentence.

Celtic abuse
Prosecutor Mark Allan told the court that a special team of officers began investigating hate comments on the internet after the so-called Old Firm "shame game" on 3 March this year.

Mr Allan said: "They came across a site called 'Neil Lennon Should Be Banned' and noted that the accused had made various comments on the Facebook page."

On 1 March, two days before the Old Firm match, Birrell posted: "Hope they (Celtic fans) all die. Simple. Catholic scumbags ha ha."

On 4 March, the day after the game, he wrote: "Proud to hate Fenian tattie farmers. Simple ha ha."



Four days later Birrell posted: "They're all ploughing the fields the dirty scumbags."

He also posted abuse directed at the Pope.

The court was told that the police traced Birrell to his then home in Dalmarnock on 23 April.

Deferring sentence for background reports, Sheriff Bill Totten told Birrell: "What you wrote was vile and hateful there is no place for these kind of remarks in our city or in our country."

Sheriff Totten told Birrell that his comments could encourage impressionable people to behave in this way and were unacceptable.

He added: "You should be under no doubt very real harm does result from this. A substantial custodial sentence will probably have to be imposed in this case."

The sheriff will also consider whether to ban Birrell from attending football matches.

BBC News

A.J. man indicted in case of bombs meant for border (Neo-Nazi, USA)

Jeffrey Harbin

An Apache Junction man who was a former member of a group with neo-Nazi ties is facing up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for bomb-related offenses.

Jeffrey Harbin, 28, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court to possession of unregistered destructive devices and the unlawful transportation of explosive material.

Harbin will be sentenced Dec. 13 before Judge Neil Wake. He was charged with the crimes in January when he was pulled over in Apache Junction and officers discovered one of the grenade-like devices in his truck. After a search warrant was executed in his home, authorities discovered about a dozen of the devices.

Authorities say Harbin created them using polyvinyl chloride in a container filled with gunpowder, ball bearings and an improvised fusing system, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Harbin, who was a member of the neo-Nazi-linked National Alliance and formerly in the National Socialist Movement, had planned to take the bombs to the Mexico border, according to court documents. Authorities say used ball bearings to make them more dangerous.

According to authorities, Harbin was recruited into the National Socialist Movement by J.T. Ready, a former Mesa City Council candidate who leads patrols throughout Pinal County and other parts of Arizona in an effort to apprehend illegal immigrants. Ready says he no longer is a member.

The investigation leading up to Harbin’s indictment was led by the FBI and members of the Phoenix Joint Terrorism Task Force.

East Valley Tribune