A United Kingdom court has convicted a 66-year-old Sunderland councillor, Glenn Gibbins, for “grossly offensive” comments targeting Nigerians.
According to Chronicle Live, the former Reform UK councillor, elected in May, was found guilty after a three-hour trial at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
District Judge Zoe Passfield sentenced him to a 12-month community order with 150 hours of unpaid work.
Gibbins admitted his comment was offensive but denied it was “grossly” offensive. The offending remark was made in a Facebook post in March 2024, in which he suggested that Nigerians should be melted down and used to fill potholes.
He told the court the comment was “naughty” but not meant to be taken literally.
The post came to light after anti-extremism group Hope Not Hate reviewed his social media history when he was announced as a Reform UK candidate for Sunderland City Council.
Authorities were alerted to the post after his election, the report said.
