Yorkshire race-hate man jailed over videos

Gareth Hemingway was traced after a complaint was made to police in 2007 by someone who saw the clip he had compiled called Dewsbury Needs Help, Jonathan Sandiford prosecuting told Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

Inquiries revealed Hemingway, who grew up in Dewsbury, had also posted the other clips on his own account using the name Paul which he said he thought only "like minded people" would see.

Mr Sandiford said the clips and videos were threatening, abusive and in the Crown's submission intended to stir up racial hatred.

The Dewsbury clip had been viewed 244 times with six people having left comments about it.

Another clip which Hemingway said he had downloaded from a different website then reloaded to YouTube, had been viewed 2,897 times with 150 comments including one in support from Combat 18 Ohio.

Police traced Hemingway through his IP address to his then home in Longford Road, Bognor Regis and seized his computer. Images found on it included SS flags, White Power images, and far right wing information.

"The prosecution say it was indicative of his mind set and intentions in disseminating such material on the internet."

Hemingway told the court he did not have a hatred for people of other races but at the time had family difficulties and problems. "I felt I needed to belong to something."

He had put a tag on the account so only over 18s could access it and assumed that would be people who already shared those ideas.

He pleaded guilty to five charges of distributing racially inflammatory recordings.

Jailing him Judge Rodney Grant said the videos were extremely offensive and plainly intended to incite racial hatred and "worryingly in my view racial violence against groups in our society."