Racist looked at beheading video before threat to blow up mosque

Published on Friday 1 May 2009 22:00

A MAN threatened to blow up a mosque after watching a video clip of a beheading, a court heard yesterday.

Neil MacGregor, 36, sent threats to Strathclyde Police after a friend e-mailed him the clip. He told officers he would "execute" a Muslim a day unless all mosques in Scotland were closed.

MacGregor, of Melbourne, Derbyshire, was appearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court where he was due to be sentenced for a racial breach of the peace. But Sheriff Andrew Mackie deferred sentencing until later this month for reports.

MacGregor's defence lawyer, Craig Dewar, told the court: "He was e-mailed a video of a beheading from a friend and found it very upsetting. He then took the decision to behave in this way.

"He accepts that he was wrong to confuse this form of behaviour with that of the Islamic religion and is extremely sorry for what he has done. He has been in contact with figures from the mosque to personally offer his apologies."

At an earlier hearing, MacGregor admitted telephoning and e-mailing Strathclyde Police to make the threats from a flat in Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow, between 30 January and 15 February, 2007.

The court heard the e-mail read: "I'm a proud racist and National Front member. We as an organisation have decided to deal with the current threat from Muslims in our own British way, like our proud ancestors. Our demands are very small. Close all mosques in Scotland.

"If our demands aren't met by next Friday, we'll kidnap one Muslim and execute him or her on the internet, just like they did to our Ken Bigley."

MacGregor followed up the e-mail with a call threatening to blow up the Central Mosque in Glasgow. Officers searched the mosque, but found nothing suspicious. MacGregor was arrested in December last year.

Mr Dewar said: "Mr MacGregor makes significant mention of the fact that he was raised against a background of sectarianism. He's now taking measures to address his issues with religion. He returned from the US three months prior to this matter due to his mother's ill health and he was finding it difficult to cope.

"He appeared to be suffering from some form of depression and that background coupled with the showing of the video clip resulted in this behaviour. He wishes to express his deep remorse."

Mr Dewar told the court that a psychiatrist's report showed that MacGregor suffers from some form of mental disorder. The psychiatrist recommended that this be treated while he was subject to a probation order, but Sheriff Mackie called for a social inquiry report to look at all available punishments.