'Hamas supporter' who livestreamed arrival into UK before being placed in Manchester hotel jailed
A Palestinian who livestreamed his arrival into the UK on a dinghy before being placed in a Greater Manchester hotel has been jailed.
Abu Wadee, an alleged Palestinian gunman who reportedly called for the slaughter of Jews, showed his efforts to get into the UK illegally on TikTok.
The 33-year-old, who is also known as Mosab Abdulkarim Al-Gassas, was arrested by immigration enforcement officers after arriving on a small boat in Kent.
READ MORE: Fatal collision was 'tragic accident, not criminal act', jury told as they retire in death by careless driving trial
READ MORE: Convicted murderer stabbed great uncle to death in 'planned, brutal' attack
Canterbury Crown Court heard that Wadee paid smugglers 1,500 euros (£1,300) to cross the Channel from France to England.
He livestreamed his dinghy being approached by a Border Force vessel on TikTok.
After his arrival in the UK, Wadee was placed in a hotel in the Manchester area.
The defendant left Palestine in 2022 before making asylum claims in Greece, Germany and Belgium.
The court heard he had no familial or financial ties to the UK, and he had stayed between Calais and Dunkirk in France for a week before making the crossing.
Wadee pleaded guilty to trying to get into the country on March 6 without leave or valid entry clearance in Canterbury Crown Court today (May 19). He has been jailed for nine months.
He had livestreamed his arrival on an 'overcrowded and rigid inflatable boat', the court heard.
Judge Sarah Counsell, sentencing, said there is 'legitimate public concern about breaches of border control' over illegal boat crossings, which are of 'significant profit to organised criminals'.
She told Wadee that there was a 'risk of death or injury to you and others'.
The court was shown a 20-second clip of the livestream on Monday, but it is not known how many viewed it at the time.
Wadee has a large following on social media, where his TikTok videos attract up to 2.5 million views, The Mail on Sunday claimed.
He is alleged to have charted his journey from Gaza on the social media channel.
His arrival in the UK made national headlines after it was reported that Wadee, a Palestinian from the city of Khan Yunis in Gaza, had posted on social media support for terror group Hamas, and hate-speech calling for the death of Jews.
He posted a video on his Facebook page last September in which he is filmed calling for Allah to 'punish (Jews) completely', it was reported.
In another picture posted on Facebook in March 2021, it is claimed Wadee stared into the camera while smoking a cigarette and brandishing an assault rifle with a telescopic sight.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
26 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Photos of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil after 104 days in US custody
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student and Palestinian activist, has returned to the Northeast U.S. after spending 104 days in federal immigration detention. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Hamilton Spectator
30 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Photos of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil after 104 days in US custody
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University student and Palestinian activist, has returned to the Northeast U.S. after spending 104 days in federal immigration detention. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Ex-Texas US Rep. Blake Farenthold, who left office amid harassment allegations, dies at 63
Former Texas Republican U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, who left Congress amid sexual harassment allegations, has died. He was 63. He died in a Corpus Christi hospital and suffered heart and liver problems in recent years, Steve Ray, his former longtime political consultant, said. Farenthold's wife, Debbie Farenthold, confirmed that he died Friday. Blake Farenthold was elected in 2010, upsetting long-serving Democratic U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz. Seven years later, Farenthold announced that he wouldn't seek reelection. In a video he posted on his campaign's Facebook page at the time, he denied a former aide's three-year-old accusations, which included that he'd subjected her to sexually suggestive comments and behavior and then fired her after she complained. He apologized for an office atmosphere he said included 'destructive gossip, offhand comments, off-color jokes and behavior that in general was less than professional.' He said in the video that if he stayed in Congress, he would have spent months trying to vindicate himself. 'We all make mistakes,' Ray said Saturday. 'He made some mistakes.' Ray described him as a 'techie' who was interested in the internet and technology before getting involved in politics. 'He did a tremendous job as congressman for this area,' Ray said, noting that Farenthold cared about fighting crime and promoting transparency. 'His heart was really always in the right place.' Before becoming a congressman, Farenthold was a sidekick for a conservative radio talk show host, Ray said. 'When he decided to run, nobody in the world thought he was going to win,' Ray said. When he left office, he started his own radio show until he died. In addition to his wife, Farenthold is survived by two adult daughters, Morgan Baucum and Amanda Lawrence, Ray said.
