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racially-aggravated criminal damage

EDL member sentenced for nailing copy of Koran to Muslim centre

By
February 12, 2014
community order, criminal damage, EDL, English Defence League, hate crime, racially-aggravated criminal damage

A MEMBER of a far-right group nailed a copy of the Koran to a proposed Muslim education centre.

Graham French, 28, also sprayed EDL, which stands for English Defence League, on the former Melrose Arms in Shotton Colliery, in December.

It was after planning permission for a change of use, which has caused controversy, was granted.

French, of Dene Crescent, Shotton Colliery, admitted racial or religious aggravated criminal damage to the wall of a multi-faith centre.

He was given a community order with six months supervision at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court plus a one-month tagged curfew between 10.30pm and 7am.

Sunderland Echo

Mosque graffiti left worshippers in fear of attack

By
October 12, 2013
criminal damage, EDL, English Defence League, hate crime, racially-aggravated criminal damage

Muslims at a mosque feared an attack after a teenager daubed graffiti outside the building following the killing of soldier Lee Rigby, a court heard.

Oadby Central Mosque

Oadby Central Mosque

Worshippers at Oadby Central Mosque believed they could be assaulted after “EDL” – a reference to the English Defence League – was scrawled on a charity clothing bin outside the building.

Prosecutor Safina Desai told Leicester Youth Court yesterday how the 17-year-old graffiti vandal wrote “EDL” on the bin in Sandhurst Street days after the attack on Mr Rigby in London on May 22.

In a victim statement read out in court, Muhammed Katib, chairman of Oadby Central Mosque, which is also a community centre, told how Muslims were in fear of being attacked.

After the killing of Mr Rigby, mosques had been set on fire.

“We were on red alert and very concerned about what had happened,” said Mr Katib.

“We were fearful that the mosque would be damaged or set on fire or people would be attacked.”

Mr Katib told how the mosque was watched 24 hours a day for a while, and worshippers stayed away for fear of being targeted.

Mrs Desai said the defendant, who is from Oadby and cannot be named because of his age, was arrested after police identified his “tag” – a signature – on the graffiti.

When his home was searched, police found pens that matched the colour of the graffiti on the bin.

Mrs Desai said the teenager admitted he had scrawled the graffiti.

“He told police he had heard about what had happened in London and did not like it,” she said. “He wanted to do something about it. He was aware that the centre was used as a mosque.”

Mrs Desai told the court that the teenager had already scrawled “EDL” on the windows of the centre and on the same charity clothes bin on May 13.

She said Mr Katib had dismissed that graffiti as a “one-off” event, but was very alarmed after the second attack.

The teenager pleaded not guilty to two charges of racially-aggravated criminal damage on May 13 and between June 6 and 11.

He was convicted of both offences after a two-day trial at Leicester Youth Court on September 17.

Alan Mee, representing the teenager at the sentencing hearing yesterday, said the 17-year-old regretted what he had done.

The teenager said: “I am sorry if I caused any grief or fear or anything.”

Chairman of the bench Bruce Chater gave the teenager a 12-month rehabilitation order with supervision.

The youth is to be electronically tagged for two months and must observe a curfew between 9pm and 7am every day.

Mr Chater told the teenager: “I think on reflection you understand what you did and how something like this affected the community.”

Leicester Mercury

Asbo woman jailed over racist graffiti spree.

By
July 31, 2013
ASBO, criminal damage, EDL, English Defence League, Racial Conviction, racially-aggravated criminal damage, Suspended sentence

Georgina Gontar, 20, of Old Woking, pleaded guilty to a breach of an Asbo, four offences of racially aggravated criminal damage and two of causing criminal damage when she appeared at Guildford Magistrates’ Court last Wednesday (April 17).

The graffiti, including the the name “Bin Laden” and the letters “EDL”, was daubed inside a shop at Lion Retail Park, on a wall in view of the Shah Jahan Mosque in Oriental Road and outside properties in Walton Road on November 12 last year.

For the Asbo breach and racially aggravated criminal damage, Gontar received a custodial sentence of 10 weeks, suspended for 12 months.

For the criminal damage she received a custodial sentence of seven weeks, suspended for 12 months, to run concurrently with the first term.

During the 12-month period, Gontar has a supervisory order in place and she is required to participate in a diversity awareness and prejudice programme.

The magistrates also ordered Gontar to pay compensation of £650 to the James Walker Group, £40 to Hobbycraft and £20 to Unit 18 Boundary Way at the hearing.

She was jointly charged with 19-year-old Laura Woodward of Addlestone.

Get Surrey

Woking People

Teenager admits racist graffiti near mosque.

By
July 30, 2013
community order, criminal damage, EDL, English Defence League, Racial Conviction, racially-aggravated criminal damage

Laura Woodward, A teenager spray-painted racist graffiti near a mosque and daubed the names Saddam Hussein and Bin Laden on flats during a booze-fuelled spree.

Laura Woodward, 19 of Byron Road, Addlestone, admitted four counts of racially and religious aggravated criminal damage and two of criminal damage.

Woodward, appearing before Guildford magistrates last Thursday, also admitted racially aggravated damage to the front door of an Asian man whom she knew.

Nick Wilson, prosecuting, told the court that Woodward and another girl bought spray paint from Hobbycraft in Woking on November 12 last year when they “commenced these acts of criminal damage”.

The court was told that Woodward sprayed her name and either the number four or a cross in the ladies’ cloakroom at Hobbycraft.

The pair then headed towards the Shah Jahan Mosque, where they painted racist words on a nearby wall in Oriental Road, mis-spelling England as they did so.

It cost almost £1,000 to remove the offensive material.

The public wall of the car park belonging to the same company was also sullied with racist graffiti, which the court heard will cost £344 to put right.

A silver Seat Alhambra car was vandalised with pink spray paint, costing the owner £15 to wash off.

The names Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein were daubed on the public wall of Walton Court flats and the letters EDL – an acronym for the English Defence League – were scrawled across the public wall and windows of business units 14 and 18 Boundary Way.

Nick Wilson, prosecuting, said the additional charge was in relation to graffiti on the Asian man’s house door.

“He treated her as his first girlfriend,” Mr Wilson said.

“He went to work and came home to find his house had been treated in this way. They were friends and this is what she did.”

The court heard that it would cost £1,500 for a new door.

Chris McGlinchey, defending, said: “She was, as you may have gathered, substantially drunk.

“The bulk of her offences were when she was using drink.”

Mr McGlinchey added: “She fully accepts that these offences will have caused a great deal of offence and she has developed a degree of empathy as a result.

“She is now in work and it is fair to say she has taken steps on her own part to reduce her drinking. She has asked me to make an apology on her behalf, which you may take with a pinch of salt but the apology is heartfelt.

“She has engaged with people of that community since. She does not see herself as being a racist.”

District Judge Workman said he had considered sending Woodward to a young offenders’ institution but instead decided on a community order.

He warned her: “I must make it clear – if you break the order, that is where you are going to end up.”

Woodward was sentenced to a 12-month community order plus 100 hours of unpaid work.

She must also pay damages of £100 to the mosque and £400 for the damaged door.

District Judge Workman said: “The unpaid work is to at least give something back to the community.

“All graffiti is offensive but when it is racially aggravated, it is particularly offensive.”

Get Surrey

Exeter man launched a drunken attack on a mosque.

By
July 29, 2013
community order, Fined, Racial Conviction, racially-aggravated criminal damage

A MAN launched a drunken attack on a mosque after watching a news report about the desecration of Commonwealth graves in Libya.

Barry Stanbury, 42, was caught on CCTV cameras at shortly before 2.30am on March 5, wandering around the Exeter Mosque before a window was smashed, Exeter magistrates heard.

The court was told Stanbury was wearing “a distinctive hoodie” with a logo of a large cross on it, and a police officer recognised the defendant.

Clifford Howard, prosecuting, said: “The criminal damage occurred at the Exeter Mosque at 2.23am. We have the precise time because it was caught on CCTV.”

When interviewed Stanbury said he was “so drunk he did not remember doing it”.

Mr Howard said he told police his motive for carrying out the religiously aggravated criminal damage was seeing on the news that Commonwealth graves had been desecrated in Libya.

Stanbury, of Laxton Avenue, Exeter, denied racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage at the mosque but was convicted after a trial.

Magistrates sentenced him to 80 hours unpaid work, £100 compensation and pay £150 costs.

Read more at http://www.devonlive.com/man-launched-drunken-attack-exeter-mosque/story-17210666-detail/story.html#axzz2UdZMRgja#uZtE5ZJTB75XHro6.99

March 5th 2012

This Is Exeter

Restaurant workers fear ‘racist’ attacks

By
July 22, 2013
criminal damage, EDL, English Defence League, Racial Conviction, racially-aggravated criminal damage, Racist Abuse

STAFF at an Indian restaurant in Bridgwater believe they are being targeted on religious and racist grounds following a spate of attacks.

This week a man was convicted for religiously aggravated criminal damage and provocation of violence at the Spice Club in Eastover.

But there have been further reports of an assault on a waiter, racial abuse and criminal damage.

Waiter Mehbub Kamali, 19, who claims he was punched on one occasion, told the Mercury: “I have been attacked for no other reason than the colour of my skin.”

Last Tuesday, Sedgemoor Magistrates heard how Ashley Wilson, 24, smashed a glass pane at the restaurant and threatened to cut waiters’ faces because they served Halal meat.

The court heard he asked Mr Kamali and Sultan Ahmet “Are you Muslim?”

When they said yes, he said “I’m going to cut your face” and that it was “because I’m EDL [English Defence League].”

Mr Kamali said: “It’s happening again and again and it’s terrifying. I wonder what’s next?”

Wilson, of Claremont Grove, admitted the attack on September 26 and was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and to pay £165 compensation and £85 costs. In mitigation, Crispin Hayllar said he had drunk too much and acted out of character.

Police confirmed this week that a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage for an attack on the restaurant on November 3, and have been released on bail.

Police said there had been allegations of racial abuse but they were keeping an open mind.

Anyone with information about the incident on November 3 can call police on 0845-4567000.

This is the West Country

Three in court over alleged racist graffiti

By
July 22, 2013
criminal damage, EDL, English Defence League, Racial Conviction, racially-aggravated criminal damage, racist graffiti

THREE people are to appear in court next month accused of spraying racially offensive remarks on three buildings, including a mosque.

It relates to alleged spray painting incidents at the Nasir Mosque, in Brougham Place, Hartlepool, and at the Albert Guest House, in Front Street, and the Milco store, in Front Street, both Shotton Colliery, County Durham, which all took place on Tuesday November 16 last year.

Anthony Donald Smith, 24, of Hampshire Place, Peterlee, and 31-year-old Steven James Vasey, of Prior’s Grange, High Pittington, both County Durham, plus 19-year-old Charlotte Davies, of Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire, have been charged with racially aggravated criminal damage.

All three have been bailed by police to appear before North Durham magistrates, at Peterlee, on Wednesday May 11.

Durham Police said that at the time of the alleged incidents all three claimed to be members of the English Defence League.

Northern Echo

Man sprays anti-mosque graffiti at West Bridgford site

By
July 19, 2013
dissent or distress, EDL, English Defence League, Racial Conviction, racially-aggravated criminal damage

A 25-year-old English Defence League member has pleaded guilty to daubing hate graffiti on land being considered as a site for a mosque.

Christopher Payne of Hucknall admitted spraying the graffiti but denied putting a pig’s head on the site in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire.

He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court and will be sentenced on 21 July.

Police went to the property on 23 June where the slogan “No Mosque Here” was found spray painted on the ground.
Pig’s head

Payne pleaded guilty to causing racially or religiously aggravated alarm, dissent or distress and causing racially aggravated criminal damage.

Three other men aged 19, 21 and 31, have been arrested and questioned about the incident.

Payne, of Beardsmore Close, Hucknall, who is an events planner for the English Defence League, told the court that he sprayed the slogan but did not put the pig’s head on the grassland.

He was granted bail with a curfew but ordered to stay out of West Bridgford and not to go within 200m of a mosque.

He has also been told not to have any public association with the English Defence League.

A member of the public reported finding the graffiti near Collington Way in West Bridgford on Thursday.

BBC News

Thugs who attacked Kingston Mosque are jailed

By
July 19, 2013
affray, Jailed, Racial Conviction, racially-aggravated criminal damage, violent disorder
David Morris,21,bought the bacon later strewn over the mosque and caught out when he photographed co-defendant Alfie Wallace holding a stick.

David Morris,21,bought the bacon later strewn over the mosque and caught out when he photographed co-defendant Alfie Wallace holding a stick.


Three men who joined a hooded and masked gang to attack Kingston Mosque with sticks and bottles have been jailed today.

Judge Georgina Kent overturned their pleas for leniency after hearing that all three men still denied being involved in the attack on November 21, 2010.

David Morris, 21, bought the bacon later strewn over the mosque and caught out when he photographed co-defendant Alfie Wallace holding a stick.

He was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court to six months imprisonment for racially aggravated criminal damage.

Racist Alfie Wallace, 19, was sentenced to a total of 12 months in a Young Offenders Institution for religiously aggravated criminal damage and violent disorder.

The court heard he had shouted out “I’m being arrested by a black man” in connection with another earlier offence.

Martin Pottle, 24, was sentenced to a total of 14 months in prison for religiously aggravated criminal damage and violent disorder.

He had lied to police to try and pretend he was nowhere near the mosque before admitting during the trial that he was.

CCTV from a mosque camcorder identified him as among the fleeing gang by a distinctive streak in his hair.

Your Local Guardian

He was on bail for affray when he joined the attack.

Some of their acquitted former co-defendants in the trial, Paul Abley, Jordan Ellingham, Adam Khalfan and James Stacey watched from the public dock.

The court heard from Morris’ defence counsel Mr Robertson that he was polite and helpful and said it was a borderline case for prison.

Wallace’s counsel Miss Macatonia said he was only 17 when the attack took place and he had a scheme connected with the Olympics to help young people with right-wing views.

And Mr O’Toole representing Pottle said since he completed a six month prison sentence for affray he had a child with his girlfriend and wanted to turn his life around.

But delivering her verdict Judge Geraldine Kent said: “You had no legitimate reason to go to the mosque at all.

“This is not a case of a legitimate protest that spiralled out of control.

“The attack on the mosque was an unprovoked attack against innocent people inside the mosque and it frightened members of the public who should be able to go about their daily lives in a residential street without fear.”

Lincoln yob denies being racist ‘because he has a friend called nig-nog’

By
July 19, 2013
criminal damage, Racial Conviction, racially-aggravated criminal damage, Racist Abuse, threatening behaviour

A MAN who stormed into a takeaway and threatened staff with a pizza shovel while shouting racial slurs, denied he was a racist because he had “lots of paki and coloured friends”.

Neil Mitchell, 42, of Woodland Avenue in Skellingthorpe, has been found guilty of racially aggravated threatening behaviour and racially aggravated criminal damage.

Neil Mitchell

AWAITING SENTENCE: Neil Mitchell, 41, of Woodland Avenue, Skellingthorpe, has been found guilty of racially aggravated threatening behaviour and racially aggravated criminal damage.

 

Lincoln Magistrates’ Court heard that Mitchell went to Caldo Pizza in Woodfield Avenue, Birchwood on Thursday, January 6 after he was given the wrong kebab by staff.

Mitchell slammed the chicken kebab on the counter before swearing at owner Hamid Banki.

The court heard he asked staff “Can’t you understand English” and called them “f***ing foreigners” and “pakis” before picking up a pizza shovel and brandishing it at them.

A bowl was damaged during the altercation.

But in an interview with police, Mitchell claimed he was not a racist because he “had lots of paki and coloured friends” and a friend in his phone called “nig nog”.

At an earlier hearing, Mitchell pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour and causing criminal damage but denied they were racially aggravated.

Lois Colley, prosecuting, asked Mitchell: “On a number of occasions during your police interview you mimicked the accents of staff at the shop. Do you find that offensive?”

Wearing a dark suit and standing defiantly in the dock Mitchell replied: “No. Is it offensive for a northerner to mimic a southerner?”

Ms Colley then put to Mitchell: “You said in interview you had lots of “paki” and “coloured” friends and that you had a friend in your phone called ‘nig nog’ “.

Mitchell replied: “Nig nog is a white guy, it was a name he had from the Army.

“He got the name because he was always dirty and would wear paint on his face.”

Referring to the incident at Caldo Pizza, Mitchell then told magistrates: “I hadn’t slept for three nights because my father is ill with Parkinson’s disease.

“They had got my order wrong again, so I went back to demand my money back, and petrol money as well.

“The chef started getting a bit cocky and it escalated from there.

“I said ‘Can’t you understand English?’, but it wasn’t a racist remark.

“I grew up in the ghetto where life was tough. Where I came from, things were different and you could have a bit of banter.

“I never used racist words, I can’t understand why they thought I did.”

Richard Marshall, in mitigation, said: “Mr Mitchell comes from a different background, but it is clear he didn’t use overtly racist language.”

Adjourning sentencing for further reports, chairman of the bench Robert Cox said: “You have accepted threatening behaviour and criminal damage offences but we have come to the conclusion they were racially aggravated.

“Mr Mitchell’s use of words in both interview and the witness box demonstrates an underlying hostility to racial minorities.”

Sentencing was adjourned until Friday July 8 awaiting further reports.

This is Lincolnshire