A father has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for threatening to "blow away" Tommy Robinson and the English Defence League (EDL) while brandishing an AK-47 assault rifle. Habeeb Khan, aged 49, made the threats during a period of civil unrest and racial tensions this summer.

The alarming video of Khan went viral on social media, garnering over one million views. He was arrested on August 7 after the video surfaced, in which he admitted to causing chaos at a hospital while using abusive and homophobic language towards a police officer.

Khan, residing on Hickman Road in Sparkbrook, pleaded guilty to sending communication threatening death or serious harm under the Online Safety Act, as well as an additional count of threatening behaviour. At Birmingham Crown Court on Monday, December 23, it was revealed that an AK-47 rifle, although decommissioned, was found at his home.

The video, filmed between August 4 and 6, showcased Khan in a black cap and face mask, aiming the weapon while making threats against Robinson and the EDL. The clip was shared widely, including on an X page called 'Active Patriot', which called for mosque raids in response to his threats.

At the time of police intervention, the video had accumulated 1.4 million views, was shared over 7,000 times, and received nearly 600 comments. During his arrest, Khan was dismissive of the severity of his actions, claiming he was "just joking around" and asserting he did not post the video online.

While at City Hospital due to health concerns, Khan was reported to be abusive and made derogatory comments towards staff, including a police officer. His previous convictions include 15 offences, such as racially aggravated public order offences and assaults.

In his defence, Sunit Sandhu stated that Khan suffers from bipolar disorder and physical health issues, expressing remorse for his behaviour. Judge Melbourne Inman KC remarked on Khan's recklessness, emphasizing that his actions contributed to societal division and unrest.

Khan’s previous criminal history includes a 2019 sentence for brandishing a baseball bat and imitation handgun at a delivery driver in Sparkbrook.