James Aspin jailed for threatening to burn down every Newcastle mosque in TikTok video

A father-of-four who threatened to burn down every mosque in Newcastle has been jailed for 20 months.

James Apsin, 34, was drunk when he posted the TikTok video shortly after the killing of three girls in Southport in August.

Aspin, of Blyth in Northumberland, admitted distributing a recording intending to stir up racial hatred.

Judge Carolyn Scott, sentencing him at Newcastle Crown Court, said: "The wording used by you in that TikTok video was hugely offensive and dangerous.

"You referenced people who practise Islam as being largely responsible for awful crimes committed in this country.

"You spoke about asylum seekers in a despicable way.

"You stated that you and others at the planned march in Newcastle would burn down every mosque in Newcastle."

After he was arrested, Aspin told police: "No-one can say anything these days."

The judge said the four-minute video was meant to encourage others to act as it was posted when there was widespread unrest due to the riots that broke out after Southport.

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In determining his sentence, she took into account Aspin's guilty plea and his ADHD diagnosis.

However, she said he had to be jailed: "The words used by you on your TikTok post are not and should not be tolerated," said the judge.

"Such words could and do, on some occasions, result in action being taken by others which have a serious impact on the lives of other people."

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