A man from Wednesbury in the Black Country has admitted making hate posts on the social media platform X, in which he called for migrants arriving in the UK via small boats to be shot. Joseph Peter Ash, 39, pleaded guilty to four counts of publishing threatening or abusive written material with the intention of stirring up racial hatred.
Details of the Offences
The charges relate to multiple posts made by Ash during 2024, including a video from the banned far-right group National Action posted on September 18 of that year. The posts also contained antisemitic messages and promoted anti-Jewish conspiracy theories, according to prosecutor Kristel Pous at the Old Bailey hearing.
Targeted Groups
Other posts targeted migrants and non-white individuals, referring to them as “invaders and human trash” whose purposes were to “rape, kill and get free handouts”. In one post, Ash wrote about setting fire to migrant hotels and stated that “migrants who come to the UK in small boats should be shot”.
Court Proceedings
Ash entered his guilty pleas on Friday before Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb at the Old Bailey. Prosecutor Kristel Pous told the court that his posts supported extreme right-wing ideology. Ash denied a fifth charge of disseminating a terrorist publication on “no less than nine occasions” between August 25 and September 6, 2024.
Next Steps
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb ordered that the case be transferred to Birmingham Crown Court. A plea hearing has been set for July 24, with a trial scheduled to begin on November 15 next year. The defendant was granted continued bail.
