A self-styled “keyboard warrior” who threatened Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with a knife emoji on social media after the October 7 Hamas atrocity has appeared at the Old Bailey to be sentenced.
Accountant Mohammed Nafees Ahmed, 32, dedicated his X account to Gaza and Israel after the terrorist attack on Israel last autumn, the Old Bailey heard.
On Thursday, the defendant, from Tipton in the West Midlands, appeared at the court to be sentenced after pleading guilty to eight charges of supporting a proscribed terrorism organisation.
Opening the facts, 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.
Other statements included “Long live Hamas, long live Palestine” and a call to “eradicate every Zionist”, the court heard.
Last November 13, then-home secretary Suella Braverman complained about the then-prime minister’s failure 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.
In another offensive post, he called deputy president Kamala Harris a “crackhead cocnut (sic)”, the court was told.
Last December 8, he went on to address Labour leader Sir Keir, saying: “You Zionist, your time will come (knife icon).”
He taunted the Metropolitan Police to “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).”
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 a 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 with supporting a proscribed organisation on September 16.
On October 2, Nafees Ahmed pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to eight charges of expressing support for a proscribed organisation between October 2023 and March 2024.
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 had worked as an accountant during the week and a pharmacy delivery driver at weekends, the court was told.
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 under-estimated.”
It was a “wholly exceptional case”, the lawyer asserted: “He was not brought up to support one side or another in the Palestine conflict.
“He came to it entirely as a result of the postings that he saw relating to children that simply had an effect on him and caused him to stop thinking.
“He is deeply ashamed of his act of idiocy.”
Judge Nigel Lickley will sentence Nafees Ahmed from 2pm.