A young man who was enraged by the Bondi terror attack and called for a 'Middle Eastern Bashing Day' on social media has been released from prison after five months. Ryder Shaw, 20, used a TikTok account to post two images the day after the December terrorist attack, urging followers to 'stand the f*** up' and riot at Cronulla Beach.
Details of the Offence
The posts threatened violence against Middle Eastern people and Muslims, evoking memories of the race riots that marred the famous Sydney beach two decades earlier. According to agreed facts, the first post read: 'WE RIOT, WOG/MIDDLE EASTERN BASHING DAY.' Later that same afternoon, Shaw posted another image stating: 'WE RIOT MUSLIM BASHING DAY.' Both posts called for a gathering on December 27 at Cronulla Beach, where more than ten people were arrested during riots targeting individuals of Middle Eastern descent in December 2005.
Sentencing and Court Remarks
Shaw, from Narara, was sentenced in Gosford Local Court on Thursday and will serve no further time behind bars, having been refused bail since his arrest in December. Acting Judge Alan Railton acknowledged the seriousness of the crimes but stated that the young man deserved a chance to rehabilitate in the community after admitting he 'crossed the line.' 'What is so aggravating is the timing... this was a tender situation particularly for Muslims,' Acting Judge Railton said. However, he added that 'imposition of a full-time custodial sentence is a matter of last resort... this defendant in all other respects was a good member of the community.'
Defence Arguments
Shaw's lawyer, Greg Goold, argued that his client had learned his lesson and that allowing his release into the community was a fair result. In court, Mr Goold stated that Shaw lived in Queensland when the attack occurred but was so angered that he returned south to his home state and began posting. The lawyer highlighted that Shaw deserved leniency because he realised the error of his ways and removed the posts within a few hours. 'There is no evidence of any substantial harm... it wasn't a part of a planned criminal activity,' Mr Goold said. 'It was a one-out attempt to obtain a response and that probably wasn't even achieved.' One of the posts was forwarded 135 times, but no riots materialised.
Impact on Shaw
Shaw's offending made him a target within the prison, and he was under protective custody, according to his lawyer. During the proceedings, Shaw appeared by audiovisual link from Kempsey prison but could not return to the screen when Acting Judge Railton gave his final decision due to a corrective services staff strike that locked all prisoners in their cells. A pair of supporters present in court were emotional when Shaw was cleared to leave prison.
