A man who suggested throwing eggs, fruit and stink bombs at synagogues and Jewish businesses could face a jail term, a court heard on Wednesday
Michael Brown, 45, from Brighton, responded to post on the local Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s Facebook page with a suggestion to “target local synagogues and Jewish businesses”.
"It’s about time to target local synagogues and Jewish businesses with overripe fruit and stink bombs,” he wrote.
“Let’s all buy a pack of 6 eggs and pelt the local synagogues. Then we can throw bags of flour. And before you know it we can make Jewish Muffins.
“Jews have a right to defend themselves using the Bible as a navigation tool. Watch out, these guys eat pretzels, which is just weird.
“What does everyone like to drink with their Jewish Muffins?”
He ended the message by asking if “anyone has a good recipe for roasted synagogue”.
In a police interview, Brown claimed his post was a “joke”, but at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this week he pleaded guilty to sending by public communication network an offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing message.
Prosecutor Emily Thornton said the post was made on February 28, the day the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, and she asked for Brown to be given a tougher sentence for a race hate crime.
The original post by the Brighton and Hove branch of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign had been critical of the war, calling it an “attack on yet another sovereign state”.
Adjourning the case for sentencing on September 1, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring told Brown: “I can’t rule out it will be a custodial sentence, it may well be.”
The court heard he has a drink-driving conviction from last June, but no other past offences on his record.
The judge adjourned the sentencing hearing so Brown can be assessed by a probation officer.
He was set free on unconditional bail until the next hearing.
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