LONDON: A man in the UK was jailed on Friday for threatening to burn down five mosques and kill Muslim leaders and worshippers inside the buildings.
Blake Hindry, who was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to all charges, called fives separate moques in London and threatened to set fire to them, it was revealed.
During the calls made on Aug. 5, he also said that he would kill everyone inside the buildings. He was arrested three days later, the BBC reported.
The Metropolitan Police said that it “worked around the clock” to trace the calls to Hindry and hoped that justice would be served for communities who felt threatened by an upsurge in right-wing violence, which has targeted migrants and members of the Muslim community.
“We understand that Muslim communities have felt particularly concerned for their safety following the violent disorder and criminality the country has seen in recent weeks,” Metropolitan Police commander Louise Puddefoot said in a statement.
“Our teams continue to investigate all offenses committed during this period of disorder as we work hard to build trust and confidence in communities,” she said.
The riots — the worst in the UK since 2011 — erupted after a knife attack that killed three girls during a dance class on July 29 in Southport.
False rumors spread on social media that the suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker sparked anger and unrest, with anti-immigration riots raging for more than a week, leading to more than 1,000 arrests.
Also on Friday, British police charged an 18-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman with terrorism offenses after an investigation into suspected extreme right-wing terrorism activity.
