Police surrounded Kingston Magistrates’ Court on Friday, after fears a Facebook campaign accusing authorities of a “Jewish conspiracy” against a Syrian doctor could cause an angry group to descend on the building.

In the event, only two female friends of Dr Shawkat Spahi-Shoaib, 37, of Rivermead, Kingston, found guilty of using deception to remain in the UK on April 9, turned up at the sentencing hearing.

The court heard Spahi-Shoaib ticked a box declaring he was not subject to any outstanding indictments when he applied for indefinite leave to remain in the UK in May 2005, despite awaiting trial in Manchester for two sexual offences.

He was later found guilty of both charges, served 10 months in prison and was placed on the sex offenders register.

Stephen Cook, defending, told magistrates on Friday, April 30, that Spahi-Shoaib had “stayed completely out of trouble” in the five years since, and suggested he may have ticked the box to ensure he would stay in contact with his five month old child.

However, he withdrew his contention that Spahi-Shoaib had been a “model citizen” after prosecutor Sally-Anne Russell produced print outs of the doctor’s Facebook site.

She said: “During the course of investigations, officers have noted he has been posting on Facebook his thoughts on the British justice system. He says this is a Jewish conspiracy and the officer is Jewish.

“He said he was a Muslim and thought a lot of people would be coming here today. A lot of officers were pulled from duty and surround the court today.”

She said police were monitoring the online campaign because it could incite racial hatred.

After lengthy consultations with his client, Mr Cook told magistrates: “It is true he has some views which I may well disagree with. That said, there are no charges or convictions and until there is a charge or conviction he is exercising his right to freedom of speech that may be ill advised.”

Lead magistrate Mrs Deprano told Spahi-Shoaib the court, which can impose a maximum prison term of six months, would send him to crown court because they had insufficient sentencing powers, and released him on unconditional bail.

Outside the courtroom, two uniformed UK Borders Agency officers issued the doctor with papers stating he was in the UK without leave to remain and in the country illegally.