UK councillor found guilty of racist post against Nigerians

A United Kingdom court has convicted a 66-year-old Sunderland councillor, Glenn Gibbins, for making grossly offensive and racist remarks about the city’s Nigerian community on social media.

The former Reform UK councillor was found guilty at the South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on Monday after a three-hour trial. A district judge sentenced the 66-year-old official to a 12-month community order with 150 hours of unpaid work.

The conviction emanated from a March 2024 Facebook post where Gibbins wrote that Nigerians in the town should be melted down and used to fill potholes.

The post came to light after Gibbins was announced as a candidate for Sunderland City Council, which led to condemnation and his subsequent suspension by the Reform UK party.

During the trial, the prosecuting counsel, Emma Dowling, stated that the remarks were dehumanising and intended to humiliate people from Nigeria. She stated that the comment conjured despicable images and stripped the targeted group of their humanity.

In his defence, Gibbins admitted the comment was offensive but denied it met the threshold of being grossly offensive. He claimed the post was a joke inspired by a banter-filled encounter with some Nigerians at his business stall, adding that he did not expect anyone to take the unreal scenario literally.

However, the court ruled that the nature of Gibbins’ remarks crossed the line of reasonable free speech.

“Racially charged and grossly offensive comments like this cross the line between free speech and criminal behaviour. They can be particularly upsetting and dehumanising for those in affected communities”.