Sunderland man admits religiously aggravated public disorder including ‘threatening’ language outside mosque

A Sunderland man has admitted using ‘threatening and abusive’ language outside a city mosque.

David Hann pleaded guilty to an offence of religiously aggravated public disorder when he appeared before South Tyneside Magistrates today. Friday, August 16.

The court was shown CCTV footage of several clips of Hann, 58, involved in disorder in Sunderland City Centre on Friday, August 2, and heard how he had displayed “threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour”.

District judge Zoe Passfield heard a statement submitted to the court by a PC Burrows who said that Hann, of Ryhope Street South, was seen and heard shouting racist and religiously motivated abusive terms about Muslims and the Islamic religion.

The terms described to the court included “dirty Muslims” and “Mohammad is a paedophile”.

Hann admitted using some of the terms – a number of which are not suitable for publication – although denied using all of the language described to the court.

Prosecutor Carolyn Craggs told the court how Hann’s actions had contributed to “causing distress in the local area” and a “fear of violence”.

Hann’s defence solicitor, who declined to give her name, asked for judge Passfield not to refer Hann’s sentencing to the Crown Court and argued that it could be dealt with at the Magistrates Court where a maximum sentence of six months can be imposed for a single offence.

The defence solicitor told the court Hann had been on his way to the Steels Social Club, was “unaware there was a planned protest” and had “become caught up in what happened”.

She also highlighted how Hann was shown in the video footage acting on his own and had not been involved in inciting others.

However district judge Passfield deemed that due to the seriousness of the offence and religious motivation behind Hann’s behaviour, that sentencing would need to take place at Crown Court.

She said: “The words you used were absolutely unacceptable and aggravated by race and religion.

“I also need to take into account the context of such a large scale public incident and the need for potential sentencing to be a deterrent.”

Hann will now be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday, August 23. He was remanded in custody.

Sunderland Echo