A white supremacist who produced ‘punish a Muslim day’ leaflets which incited attacks on Muslims, also sent a letter to a US mass murderer, praising his ‘ethnic cleansing’, a court has heard.
David Parnham, 36, sent hate filled letters to Muslims across the country, which resulted in ‘fear and paranoia spreading across Muslim communities’. He also sent hundreds of hate filled letters to the Queen and Theresa May between June 2016 and his arrest on 12 June last year.
Parnham also praised white supremacist Dylann Roof, who murdered nine black parishioners in Charleston, South Carolina, in December 2016, the Old Bailey heard. Passages from the letter, which had Parnham’s DNA on it, were read out in court. In the letter, Parnham thanked Roof for ‘opening his eyes’, praising his act of ‘cleansing’ and saying his actions had caused him to feel ‘differently about racial difference’.
He adds: ‘I hate these animals with a passion.
‘I sent letters with white powder to mosques, they had to shut down Parliament because of it.
‘This just reflects how much I respond you.’ He also says he would’ve done anything he could to be at the ‘cleansing’ with Roof and that killing ‘turned him on’.
Parnham also claimed in the letter to have tried to kill a friend by putting bleach in their drink and says he might ‘have to do something’ if Roof is given the death penalty.
In March 2017 a series of letters, known as the ‘Five Knights’ series, were sent to addresses around the University of Sheffield campus asking the recipients to commit exterminations of ‘Jews, ps, ns, gypsies and Mexicans.’
In July and August 2017 the ‘Great Cleanse’ series of letters were sent to mosques across London containing white powder and various threats.
The ‘punish a Muslim day’ letters said people could win ‘points’ for a range of violent acts aimed at Muslims, including removing a headscarf from a woman or beating a person up.
Muslim MPs were also sent the letter.
The day was due to take place on April 3 this year, but the date passed without incident.
Parnham then decided to follow up the event with a sequel series, ‘Punish a Muslim 2’ up until June last year.
The court heard he also played an ethnic cleansing computer game on Facebook. Dr Zara Johnson Elsheikh, Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Advisory Group, said in a statement read to the court: ‘Genuine fear and paranoia was spread across Muslim communities.
‘The relative brevity of national media coverage also helped to generate fear. ‘There was a sense of fear and that islamophobia would be permitted.’
She added that the fear was such, that a number of ‘parents and grandparents cancelled travel plans in order to stay at home and protect loved ones’.
Parnham, of Andrews Close, Lincoln, has admitted five counts of hoaxes involving noxious substances, seven counts of sending letters with intent to cause distress, one count of soliciting murder, one of bomb hoaxes and one of encouraging offences. His sentencing hearing continues.
