Two men admit criminal offence over racist Snapchat video targeting Priti Patel

Jake Henderson said he would not ‘listen to people of colour’ after government coronavirus briefing

(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Two men have admitted criminal offences over a racist Snapchat video targeting the home secretary.

Jake Henderson, a former football manager, racially abused Priti Patel in a 50-second video posted following a government coronavirus briefing in January.

In the footage, which was played to Mansfield Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, he could be heard saying: “As a white man, I won't be listening to people of colour because they’re no good in positions of power.”

Henderson used the racial slur “P***” several times, made reference to child sexual abuse in Rotherham and ended the video by saying: “F*** the P***s.”

A second man, Robert Cumming, admitted sharing the video on his own Snapchat group along with the caption “haters gonna be hating”, followed by four laughing emojis.

The video followed a government coronavirus briefing on 21 January, where the home secretary announced £800 fines for people attending house parties.

Prosecutor Daniel Church told the court the video was “motivated by hostility towards members of racial groups”.

Henderson, 28, of Newark in Nottinghamshire, and Cumming, 26, of Doncaster, pleaded guilty to a single charge of sending a grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing message or matter via a public communication network.

They were granted unconditional bail until a sentencing hearing on 12 August.

The court was told the video was recovered by police from the phone of Henderson's partner.

Mr Church said a “number of people were distressed by the racist sentiment” of the video, sparking complaints to police.

One member of the public was quoted as saying: “People have the right to feel their own feelings but he didn't have the right to show his feelings in this way.”

The statement described her fears that the video could “incite racial hatred”.

A Rotherham Borough councillor also said the video had upset her, adding: “I feel the comments were targeted at everyone in Rotherham, especially the Asian community.”

She added: “The comments are very extreme and were not made in a joking manner.

“They were not off-hand racist comments – it was an ideological view.”

Additional reporting by PA