Blyth man held in custody after admitting to stirring up religious hatred on TikTok

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A Northumberland man has admitted to stirring up religious hatred online.

James Aspin, of Briardale Road, Blyth, posted to social video platform TikTok last week making hateful and threatening comments.

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The content was reported to Northumbria Police on Friday, August 9 and the 34-year-old was identified by officers, then arrested the following morning.

Aspin was charged with one count of distributing a recording to stir religious hatred.

James Aspin, 34, of Briardale Road, Blyth, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing a recording to stir religious hatred. (Photo by Northumbria Police)James Aspin, 34, of Briardale Road, Blyth, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing a recording to stir religious hatred. (Photo by Northumbria Police)
James Aspin, 34, of Briardale Road, Blyth, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing a recording to stir religious hatred. (Photo by Northumbria Police)

Appearing before magistrates in Bedlington on Monday, he pleaded guilty to the offence and was remanded in custody. He is due to appear for sentencing at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday, August 19.

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Aspin is among 14 convictions secured by Northumbria Police this month following instances of violence by far-right extremists, including in Sunderland.

Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Barr of Northumbria Police’s major investigations team said: “We are continuing to see great results following the persistent efforts of our officers.

“Our net is tightening all the time as we trawl through hundreds of hours of footage and intelligence to find those who have played any part in the region’s recent disorder.

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“The behaviour demonstrated by these men is certainly not welcome in our communities and we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure they are held accountable.”

He added: “Over the past week, we have seen a great show of community togetherness and the support for the force has been truly heartwarming.

“We will continue to engage with communities to offer reassurance and gather intelligence to support our enquiries, and we welcome anyone who thinks they have anything useful to share to come forward.”