Sunderland Twitter users admits encouraging terrorism on social media

Prosecutors claim Mohammed Khan was a "supporter of Islamic State" who used his account to spread and encourage terror and fear.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Khan had shared a terrorist publication of an "ISIS call for attacks" on his Twitter account in December 2016.

Posts from his Twitter feed that same month called for "Death to Shias. Wallahi death to every single one of them. Insha allah" and "They should burn them alive and make them an example to other filthy murtads".

On January 2, 2017, Khan had posted "welcome to the year of fear".

And in March last year he posted a Facebook statement about martyrs.

His Twitter feed also contained the posts "we swear by Allah we will annihilate the Shiite" and "death and filthy".

The 41-year,old, of Nora Street, High Barnes, Sunderland, pleaded guilty to five offences of encouraging terrorism, one of dissemination of a terrorist publication and two of stirring up religious hatred.

Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford told the court Khan, who appeared at the hearing via video to HMP Pentonville, pleaded guilty on the basis his encouragement was "reckless rather than intentional".

But Mr Sandiford added: "The prosecution say it is apparent from the content both of the posts and his social media accounts he was a supporter of Islamic State and that carried with it the attitude to shiites which was part and parcel of Islamic State belief system."

Khan will be sentenced after Judge Paul Sloan has heard evidence at a hearing to determine which basis Khan should be sentenced on.

The judge remanded him in custody until his next appearance in May.

Judge Sloan told him: "There will be a hearing to establish the facts then I will sentence you.

"You should understand, the fact I am adjourning sentence for a fact-finding hearing and also directing the preparation of a pre-sentence report is not an indication of the sentence that will be imposed.

"You will understand an immediate custodial sentence is pretty well inevitable in the circumstances of this case.

"I will make a decision as to sentence when I have all relevant material before me."