A 61-year-old man from Castleford has been jailed for 15 months after posting antisemitic comments on Facebook, which a judge described as the work of a “Nazi sympathiser”. Neal Lloyd admitted one count of inciting racial hatred at Leeds Crown Court.
Between 7 and 19 October 2023, Lloyd posted nine comments on his public Facebook page praising the Hamas attack on Israel, endorsing Hitler’s actions during the Holocaust, and calling for the destruction of Israel. He signed off with 'HH', which the judge ruled meant “Heil Hitler”.
West Yorkshire Police arrested Lloyd at his home on 20 October following a complaint. Officers found Nazi memorabilia including a swastika flag, a bust of Hitler, and films and books. During arrest, Lloyd claimed he was entitled to his views and asked for a copy of Mein Kampf.
In mitigation, Lloyd’s barrister said he was isolated, suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, and used crack cocaine. However, Judge Richard Mansell KC rejected the mental health defence, stating Lloyd had little insight and only regretted being caught.
Sentencing Lloyd, the judge said the posts were “vile” and that imprisonment was necessary to deter him and others. Lloyd had initially claimed the posts were humour but later admitted the charge in April.
