Former prison officer tells jury he had no intention of stirring up hatred on X

A former prison officer accused of stirring up racial hatred on social media has told a jury he did not back a “call to arms” in the wake of the Southport attacks and regarded last summer’s riots as stupid.

Wheelchair user Mark Heath is accused of stirring up racial hatred on X, formerly known as Twitter, by publishing allegedly threatening, abusive or insulting material to the site between July 22 and August 6 this year.

The 45-year-old father-of-one, of Kestrel Road in Oakham, Rutland, is alleged by prosecutors to have posted “talk of war” and images that targeted people on the grounds of their race, including a claim that Islam is a “common problem” for the whole world.

But he told jurors nothing he had ever posted on X – which he viewed as a freedom of speech “safe space” after its takeover by Elon Musk – was intended to stir up hatred.

The former car sales manager, whose previous jobs included a five-year period of employment at HMP Peterborough, told the court: “I have pleaded not guilty because I am not guilty.

“I do have strong opinions and express those opinions but at no point was I trying to stir up racial hatred or did I think that it was likely to stir anything up.”

Saying he did not believe he was far-right, Heath added: “I am very much right wing.

“I do not hate all Muslims… but I do have major issues with radical Islam.”

The jury has heard that Heath commented on an incident at Manchester Airport, posting on July 25: “You know what it doesn’t matter what religion, colour etc the people involved were, an English man would have deserved the same treatment! The fact it turned out to be a group of Muslim men was a Brucey bonus!”

Asked to comment on the post by defence barrister Christopher Surtees-Jones, Heath responded: “I do regret putting the last bit I must admit.

“It was a silly thing to say.

“Having said that I do believe that that incident on the whole – I do perceive those Muslims to be radical because anybody that is up for attacking a group of armed police officers, in my eyes, is pretty radical.”

All of the images, including cartoons and computer-generated content, posted by Heath were not manufactured by him but were things he had seen circulating on Twitter.

“When I say ‘take a stand’ that means debate and policy,” he told the court.

A Reform Party logo on the front of a train was his main X account picture, Heath said, telling the court: “I agree with their policies and what they would do if they were to govern at any point.

“My issue is illegal immigration and who is arriving on the boats that are coming in.

Another message, which attracted 228,000 views, posted by Heath on the day of the Southport stabbings read: “Now the truth. Name Ali Al Shakati, arrived on a dinghy last year, saying he is 17 so not to be named, multiple witnesses saying he was shouting ALLAHU AKBAR.”

In his evidence, Heath said of the post: “Ali Al Shakati is a nobody.

“Ali Al Shakati is a name that was circulated from a false news channel, which a lot of people got took in by, obviously me included.

“It was wildfire on X.”

Mr Surtees-Jones asked Heath: “Were you intending to stir up racial hatred on that post?”

Heath answered: “Not at all. I was just commenting on what I had heard.”

The defendant added: “My belief and my opinion is that we live in a very dangerous country now.

“Taking our country back means taking the borders back. That’s me having an opinion on a news matter at the time.”

A further post claiming the Southport attacker had been prevented from being returned to Rwanda was also raised during Heath’s defence case.

“I didn’t know if that was correct information at the time, but it was all over Twitter at the time that that was correct,” he said. “I believed it to be true.

“The people that were rioting, in my opinion, are stupid. I condemn them 100%.

“At no point of any of my posts that had anything to do with riots… do I encourage or endorse a call to arms. That is not who I am.”

The trial continues.