Trial starts for neo-Nazi accused of racially abusing Luciana Berger
Joshua Bonehill-Paine is claimed to have sent 'defamatory and insulting articles' to the Jewish MP
A blogger will go on trial today accused of harassing Labour MP Luciana Berger by posting a series of anti-Semitic rants on the internet.
Joshua Bonehill-Paine, 23, of Yeovil, Somerset, faces a four-day trial at the Old Bailey over five “defamatory and insulting articles” on websites.
He has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of racially aggravated harassment of the 35-year-old Liverpool Wavertree MP.
Between October 26 2014 and January 25 2015, Bonehill-Paine allegedly issued posts which “demonstrated towards Luciana Berger hostility based on her membership or presumed membership of a particular racial group, namely Jews”.
The trial is being heard by senior judge Mr Justice Spencer. Prosecutor Philip Stott is expected to outline the case before the first witnesses give evidence.
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