An “idiot” Hamas supporter who threatened Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with a knife emoji has been jailed for a year.
Accountant and self-styled “keyboard warrior” Mohammed Nafees Ahmed, 32, dedicated his X, formerly Twitter, account to Gaza and Israel after the Hamas terrorist attack in which more than 1,100 people were killed last October 7.
He advocated “jihad” and antisemitic violence in the UK and abroad and failed to heed warnings by his wife to stop.
Among a stream of offensive posts, he addressed Sir Keir as the Labour leader marked Chanukah on X last December 8, saying: “You Zionist, your time will come (knife icon).”
The defendant, from Tipton in the West Midlands, had pleaded guilty to eight charges of supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation.
On Thursday, Judge Nigel Lickley KC sentenced him at the Old Bailey to one year in jail and a further year on extended licence.
The Judge said: “I am satisfied you had terrorist motivations. I am satisfied you knew Hamas was a proscribed organisation despite you saying you were not aware.”
His offending came at a time of “greatly heightened emotions”, the judge said: “Your words played a part in a worldwide dialogue at the time. Your behaviour cannot be overlooked.”
Rejecting a defence claim that it was an “exceptional case”, the judge said the offending was so serious that only an immediate jail sentence would do.
Earlier, prosecutor Peter Ratliff said the charges related to a five-month period when Nafees Ahmed posted messages of an “antisemitic, violent and threatening nature”.
At the time, the defendant had 19 followers but his account was open for anyone on the X platform to view, he said.
Last October 8, then-foreign secretary James Cleverly condemned the Hamas attack.
In a response viewed 22 times, the defendant stated: “Your fool, long live Palestine long live hamas (sic)”.
Last October 11, Nafees Ahmed posted a message seen 15 times stating: “Wipe them off the map. Death to Israel and America.”
He rejected as “lies fake news” an Israeli report that terrorists had gone from house to house murdering entire families and called to “eradicate every Zionist”, the court heard.
Last November 14, then-home secretary Suella Braverman complained the then-prime minister had failed to address antisemitism and extremism on the streets of the UK following the October 7 atrocities.
In a post seen 13 times, the defendant replied: “You still alive you witch.”
Last November 29, he reacted to a post by US president Joe Biden by writing “Parish Juda”, meaning death to Jews.
He added: “We Muslims don’t fear no one apart from Allah the Almighty. If you think we do then come and find out you rat.”
In another offensive post, he called vice president Kamala Harris a “crackhead cocnut (sic)”, the court was told.
He taunted the Metropolitan Police with an antisemitic slogan saying “come and arrest me”, describing the force as “a bunch of clowns”.
On January 12, he replied to a post by broadcaster Piers Morgan with offensive swear words and telling him: “If your 3ver s3en in London 1m (knife emoji) str8 in your throat (sic).”
The defendant was warned by X that a post violated its rules and his account would be locked, yet it remained active and posts could still be viewed, the court heard.
Following his arrest on March 20, the defendant initially made no comment before accepting a device was his and providing the access code.
Mr Ratliff said the defendant had claimed he acted after being “distressed” by images of children killed in Gaza, when at the time he began offending it was Hamas that was killing children.
He went on: “Having regard to his use of knife icons threatening politicians, a Jewish religious leader and broadcaster in the context of advocating attacks on Israel it is open to conclude the defendant has terrorist motivations.”
The defendant, who has no previous convictions, was charged on September 16 and pleaded guilty the following month when he appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
In mitigation, David Martin-Sperry said the defendant acknowledged his actions were “misguided and ill thought out”, describing himself as an “idiot”.
The married father-of-two had worked as an accountant during the week and a pharmacy delivery driver at weekends, the court was told.
He has since lost his job with a Walsall housing group and has been working as a food delivery driver.
Mr Martin-Sperry said Nafees Ahmed’s “complete lapse of judgment” came about as a result of seeing images of injured children and he knew little about the organisation he was purporting to support.
The defence lawyer said: “He emphasises he does not see himself as being in any way antisemitic. That is his view when asked about it.
“He was perfectly clear. He took the position he did on seeing photos and articles presenting injuries to children.
“He has no connections with the part of the Middle East which has been so torn recently.”
On the defendant identifying himself as a “keyboard warrior”, the barrister said he was “in no sense a warrior against anybody on any score” and had been a “good person”.
Mr Martin-Sperry added: “He has contemplated his whole future during the last nine months since his arrest. The real and enduring despair his own actions have caused him cannot be underestimated.
“He is deeply ashamed of his act of idiocy.”
The defendant, who wore a facemask in court, looked up to a female supporter in the public gallery as he was sent down from the dock.
