A man has pleaded guilty over a Facebook post suggesting throwing eggs, overripe fruit and stink bombs at synagogues and Jewish businesses.
Michael Brown, 45, responded to a post on the Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s Facebook page with a suggestion to “target local synagogues and Jewish businesses”.
He ended the message with the words: “Does anyone has good recipe for roasted Synagogue.”
In a police interview, Brown claimed that his post was a “joke”.
But at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today (Wednesday 29 July) he pleaded guilty to sending by public communication network an offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing message.
Emily Thornton, prosecuting, said that the post was made on Saturday 28 February, the day when America and Israel started their war on Iran.
And she asked for Brown to be given a tougher sentence for a race hate crime.
The original post by the Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign had been critical of the war, calling it an “attack on yet another sovereign state”.
Adjourning the case for sentencing on Tuesday 1 September, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring told Brown: “I can’t rule out it will be a custodial sentence. It may well be.”
The court heard that Brown, of High Street, Newhaven, wrote in his Facebook post: “It’s about time to target local synagogues and Jewish businesses with overripe fruit and stink bombs.
“Let’s all buy a pack of 6 eggs and pelt the local synagogues. Then we can throw bags of flour. And before you know it we can make Jewish Muffins.
“Jews have a right to defend themselves using the Bible as a navigation tool. Watch out these guys eat Pretzels which is just weird.
“What does everyone like to drink with their Jewish Muffins?
“And does anyone has good recipe for roasted Synagogue.”
Miss Thornton said that in his police interview Brown admitted making the post and insisted “it was a joke and he didn’t mean any offence”.
The court was told that he had a drink driving conviction from June last year but no other past offences on his record.
The judge adjourned the sentencing hearing for a pre-sentence report so that Brown could be assessed by a probation officer.
He was remanded on unconditional bail until the next hearing.
