A race-hate extremist has been jailed for 22 months for posting vile holocaust-ridiculing and Nazi salute videos “intended to incite racial hatred”. Damion Bennett, 30, was arrested following a Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW) probe after he uploaded the “threatening, abusive and insulting” material to “free speech” forum GAB.
At Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court on Wednesday Bennett, of Offerton, in Stockport, Greater Manchester, admitted three offences of distributing, showing or playing a recording intending to stir up racial hatred. Judge Tina Landale also ordered that two mobile phones and a computer tower containing offending material be destroyed.
The court heard how Bennett posted three videos in January and February 2023 on the online platform GAB, an alternative mainstream social media platform.
The defendant was arrested on 3rd April 2024 at his home address on suspicion of distributing material intending to incite racial hatred and accepted the videos he had posted were ‘threatening, abusive and insulting’.
After Bennett was jailed, Counter Terrorism Policing North West said the content on his GAB account was “extremely threatening”.
Detective Supt Ben Cottam, senior investigating officer for CTPNW, said: “GAB was founded in 2016 and launched publicly in 2017 and claims to promote free speech and individual liberty; however researchers and journalists have found that antisemitism is prominent in the site’s content.
“Bennett created a GAB account with the username @Damo94 in November 2022, where he began posting images, memes and videos which were assessed to be extremist material synonymous with a far-right mindset.
“The content of Bennett’s account was extremely threatening, abusive and insulting, and was intended to stir up racial hatred.
“During the search of his home address officers and online accounts officers found a number of leaflets supportive of a mindset promoting conspiracy theories, antisemitism, racism and extreme right-wing beliefs.
“Distribution of material inciting racial hatred, particularly on the internet and in public, has far-reaching consequences and implications, and anyone posting will be dealt with.”
