Archive

racially aggravated harassment

EDL supporters admit roles in Walsall protest disorder

By
July 30, 2013
Demo, EDL, English Defence League, Fined, Racial Conviction, racially aggravated harassment, threatening behaviour
John Sharpe, aged 45, from Walsall and Kyle Kirkbridge, aged 24, from Rugeley

John Sharpe, aged 45, from Walsall and Kyle Kirkbridge, aged 24, from Rugeley

Kyle Kirkbride, 24, of Rugeley, admitted threatening behaviour, while John Sharpe, of Leamore, Bloxwich, admitted racially aggravated harassment at the EDL protest in Walsall on 29th September last year.

Walsall Magistrates Court heard Sharpe made racist remarks to a police officer. District Judge Michael Morris ordered him to pay a £100 fine, £150 compensation, £85 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

The prosecution said Kirkbride, had made rude hand gestures to Asian men.

Mr Jason Georgiou, mitigating, said he was not racist and was responding to the men. He was given a £280 fine, told to pay £85 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

Express & Star

Carlisle man burnt Koran in city centre in protest at Muslim extremists

By
July 19, 2013
EDL, English Defence League, Jailed, Racial Conviction, racially aggravated harassment, theft

Andrew Ryan photo

A Carlisle man who burnt the Koran in the city centre could be facing up to two years in jail.

Andrew Ryan, who claims to be a member of the English Defence League, appeared at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court today.

He pleaded guilty to religiously aggravated harassment and theft – of the Koran from Carlisle Library.

The court heard he had burnt the Koran on January 19 because for the Muslims, the book is their ‘Holiest of Holy.’

He said he had been viewing internet clips of extremist Islamic preachers and protesters earlier in the day then ‘lost it’.

Ryan, 32, of Summerhill, went to the library and booked out a copy of the Koran using a card he had only applied for the day before.

He then went to the monument on English Street and in front of shocked witnesses started shouting abuse about the Muslim faith.

One of them was his former probation officer.

Ryan managed to set fire to the book on his second attempt, after a friend passed him a lighter, then threw it on the ground and walked away.

After arrest he told police that he knew his actions were likely to stir up religious aggravation.

He also spoke of ‘Asian gangs’ and his anger at Islam.

Ryan has a number of previous convictions for public order offences and assault.

Defence solicitor Lauren Heesley said he was protesting against Muslim extremists not Islam as a faith.

She told the court that he did not judge people by their race, religion or sexual orientation.

Ms Heesley claimed that his conviction for racially abusive chanting at a football match had been a misunderstanding.

She said he had been shouting abuse at the referee, as ‘the man in black’, rather than a player.

At this point Ryan started sniggering and his supporters in the public gallery openly laughed.

Ms Heesley said Ryan has a military background which he is proud of, so images of extremist Muslim protesters burning poppies had made him want to take revenge.

The case was adjourned until April 14 for pre-sentencing reports and Ryan was granted bail.

Magistrates did not discuss what punishment they were considering imposing but the offence carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

As he left the courtroom, Ryan punched the air and said ‘no surrender’ to cheers from his supporters.

Cumberland News

Man jailed over Newbury mosque pig’s head dumping

By
July 19, 2013
Jailed, Public order offence, Racial Conviction, racially aggravated harassment

A man has been jailed for three months for dumping a pig’s head outside a mosque in Berkshire.

Rory Rowbottom, from Thatcham, left the animal’s head at the mosque on Pound Street in Newbury on 23 October.

Rowbottom pleaded guilty to one count of racially aggravated harassment and a section 4 public order offence at Reading Magistrates’ Court.

Ch Insp Lindsey Finch said his actions had left the community “distressed and horrified”.

Speaking after the hearing she said: “This was a particularly distressing crime, targeting a very respectful and close community in West Berkshire.”

Lucky Nizami, of the Newbury Mosque Committee, said: “The Muslim community is very tolerant of others’ beliefs, but hold several things very close to them; those are the Koran, the Prophet and the mosque.

“It was therefore beyond the understanding of the community why anyone would wish to insult them by directly attacking one of those, in this case the mosque.”

BBC News

EDL chanter jailed over ‘vile’ abuse

By
July 19, 2013
EDL, English Defence League, Jailed, Racial Conviction, racially aggravated harassment

An ENGLISH Defence League supporter who chanted “Muslim bombers off our streets” has been jailed for eight months.

Daniel Parker, 39, was with a group who, according to a judge aimed “vile and disgusting” abuse at a religious leader.

The group had been on an EDL march in April when they began throwing stones outside Barnsley Muslim Community Centre.

The imam came out to find EDL supporters shouting abuse including “Why don’t you go back to your country?”

Prosecutor Louise Gallagher told Sheffield Crown Court that the imam heard a loud bang on the window as he was about to lead prayers and then went outdoors, where he “found the language abusive and racist.”

When arrested, Parker, of Prince Arthur Street, Barnsley, told police he was shouting “because he was drunk and an idiot”. He admitted an unusual offence of religiously aggravated harassment.

His barrister Tina Dempster said he was the only one of the group arrested and, if he had not admitted chanting, would probably not have been charged.

Judge Roger Keen said Parker was of previous good character.

But he added: “You and others ought to understand that that sort of behaviour will not be tolerated and people like you will go to prison.

Yorkshire Post

Racist rant lands man with £380 fine

By
July 19, 2013
assault, EDL, English Defence League, Racial Conviction, racially aggravated harassment

A FACTORY worker punched a police officer after he was arrested for a drunken racist rant when he said all immigrants should be shot, a court heard.

Ian Logan remembers very little about the incident when he assaulted the officer, who tried to arrest him following his racist diatribe, which also championed the English Defence League, Darlington Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday.

Alison Nunn, prosecuting, told the court the police officer had arrived in North Road at 11.20pm on a Sunday night, after being called to the area to deal with another matter.

The officer had seen the 48year-old staggering across the street, eating Mrs Nunn said: “He hears the defendant shout out, “EDL, EDL, get the f***ing immigrants out.

“‘You lot are f***ing useless, what the f*** are you doing about all these b******s? Control immigration, you should shoot them all.”

Logan then shouted more racist obscenities, the court heard.

When the officer, who thought Logan was drunk, tried to arrest him, he pulled the officer’s arm and then punched him in the face, the court heard. The officer reached for his pepper spray, which failed to activate, and Logan pulled him by his body armour and made aggressive comments, forcing the officer to “knee” Logan.

Logan continued to be physically and verbally aggressive until he was put into a police cell.

The incident happened on Sunday, February 28.

Leanne Steinberg, mitigating, said Logan had been drinking since 3pm on the day of the incident.

“Mr Logan is absolutely embarrassed and ashamed to come before the court, ” she said. “He accepts it is just not acceptable at all.”

She said he had consumed a lot of alcohol before the incident and did not remember a great deal about it.

She said he had been under a lot of stress, and had experienced periods of unemployment and had been worried about paying his mortgage and bills.

She said the rant had not been directed at anyone, and he had been “simply mouthing off”.

Logan, of Thompson Street West, Darlington, pleaded guilty to assaulting a police office and racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress.

He was fined £190 for each offence and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

The Advertiser

Three admit roles in Walsall EDL protest disorder

By
July 19, 2013
Fined, Racial Conviction, racially aggravated harassment
John Sharpe, aged 45, from Walsall and Kyle Kirkbridge, aged 24, from Rugeley

John Sharpe, aged 45, from Walsall and Kyle Kirkbridge, aged 24, from Rugeley

Three men have admitted their roles in trouble which broke out during an English Defence League protest in a busy Black Country town centre.

Angry scenes unfolded in Leicester Street, Walsall, in September as the EDL held a protest and disorder erupted as supporters left a pub.

Kyle Kirkbride, of Rugeley, and Peter Jelley, of Shrewsbury, both admitted threatening behaviour, while John Sharpe, of Leamore, Bloxwich, admitted racially aggravated harassment at Walsall Magistrates Court yesterday.

Mrs Clare Davis, prosecuting, said during the afternoon of September 29 there had been 300 EDL supporters in Yates’s, 100 in Varsity and more elsewhere and disorder erupted when 200 to 300 supporters left the pub.

Some stewards, EDL supporters and police suffered injuries.

The court heard Sharpe made racist remarks to a police officer. Miss Davis said the 45-year-old, of Hawbush Road, was not part of the protest and was in the “wrong place at the wrong time”. Mrs Sheila Hicklin, mitigating, said Sharpe had a drinking problem. District Judge Michael

Morris ordered him to pay a £100 fine, £150 compensation, £85 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

Miss Davis said Kirkbride, aged 24, of Springfield Avenue, had made rude hand gestures to Asian men.

Mr Jason Georgiou, mitigating, said he was not racist and was responding to the men. He was given a £280 fine, told to pay £85 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

Peter Jelley, aged 24, of Prescott Close, Shrewsbury, denied being involved in violence. In mitigation, Mr James Hand said he has no strong political views.

The hearing was adjourned for a pre-sentence report and he was released on conditional bail to return to court on February 6 for sentencing.

Express & Star

Two Nazi EDL Thugs in Portsmouth Courts in One Week!

By
July 19, 2013
community order, Racial Conviction, racially aggravated harassment

hylandandsilvesterHyland (left) and Silvester: racist EDL thugs

Two members of the far-right English Defence League have found themselves up in Portsmouth Courts in the same week for racially-aggravated harassment and breach of bail conditions for violent assault

Jacob ‘Jake’ Hyland is one of the more active and extreme fascist members of Portsmouth EDL and the hilariously entitled ‘Pompey EDL Youth Division’. He has even been on the Portsmouth Anarchist blog under the name ‘pompeyagainstanarchists’ arguing that the EDL are not racist. The 18-year-old, of Mayridge, Fareham, been given a restraining order by Portsmouth Crown Court (15/11/11) for religiously-aggravated harassment after making abusive phone calls to Abbas Rahim at the Al Mahdi Centre in Fareham in October and November of last year.

Following the court appearance of baby-faced Nazi Jacob ‘Jake’ Hyland earlier in the week, a second Portsmouth member of the extremist EDL also had his day in court (or should that be YET another day in court, following his previous convictions?!) .

Blaise Silvester, 21, of Stubbington Avenue, North End, was given a two-month curfew and told to do 100 hours of unpaid work after attacking peace protesters at a demonstration outside the Jami Mosque in Victoria Road North, Southsea. A group of football hooligans, neo-nazi extremists and local youths formed to hurl racist abuse, bottles, bricks, fireworks and roofing slates at members of the peaceful Portsmouth muslim community and many others from the local area who had gathered to defend the Mosque.

Sentencing him in June, Judge Graham White said the 21-year-old could normally have gone to jail. But a mistake by the probation service meant the judge’s hands were tied and he had to hand Silvester a community order. Silvester was given a 12-month community order and told to do 100 hours of unpaid work in the community. He also had to wear an electronic tag and stay at home everyday from 9pm to 6am for two months. Silvester should have been offered rehabilitation by the probation service for a previous offence but because he wasn’t, the judge said he couldn’t jail him.

Rather than counting himself lucky and getting on with the unpaid work, Silvester breached the order. On one occasion he shouted and swore at the officer in charge and another time he failed to turn up, Portsmouth Crown Court heard.

Lancaster Unity And Paulie @ Indymedia

Swansea couple jailed for racist attack on daughter, 17

By
July 18, 2013
Jailed, Racial Conviction, racially aggravated harassment, Racist Abuse

wales

The parents of a 17-year-old girl, jailed for attacking her because she was going out with a black man, have been called “disgraceful” by a judge.

David Champion, 50, from Swansea, and his wife Frances, hit daughter Jane for “bringing shame” on the family.

The father also abused her boyfriend Alfonce Ncube with racist language before grabbing and kicking him.

Champion was jailed for 12 months at Swansea Crown Court, and his wife to nine months. Both admitted assault.

The father also admitted a charge of racially aggravated assault against Mr Ncube.

Frances Champion admitted using threatening, abusive or offensive words or behaviour to cause racially aggravated fear or provocation of violence towards Mr Ncube.

The court heard parents attacked their daughter after returning home to find her in a “state of undress” with Mr Ncube.

After abusing and assaulting Mr Ncube, Champion then grabbed his daughter, now 18, by her hair.

He accused her of “bringing shame” on the family and started to hit her.

Nicola Powell, prosecuting, said: “He told her she was destroying the family and pushed her out of the front door of the family home in St Thomas, Champion shouting racist language to describe Mr Ncube.”

The court heard the teenager went to stay with her grandmother for a while but later returned home

But a month later, after the couple had been drinking, they came home from the pub and challenged her over the relationship.

Miss Powell said: “David Champion asked his daughter if she was still seeing Mr Ncube. When she told him she was, he punched her in the face.

“Miss Champion said she felt huge pain to her left eye, but her father then grabbed her by her throat, and continued hitting her.”

The court heard Mrs Champion yelled: “You deserve it. It is all your fault.”

She also hit her daughter and told her she had “brought shame on her family,” the court heard.

The couple also had to be removed from the restaurant where Mr Ncube worked after going there and shouting for him.

He was “in hiding” during the incident. Frances Champion continued to bang on the restaurant’s window, the court heard.

John Hipkin, defending David Champion, said his client knew his “abhorrent” assault was “not excusable in any way, shape or form”.

He said: “But the circumstances in which he found his young daughter meant he reacted in a terrible way. Lessons have been learned.”
‘Cannot be tolerated’

Georgina Buckley, defending Frances Champion, said her client admitted her “disgraceful” actions were “fuelled by alcohol” and that she “confronted her daughter in a wholly unacceptable and disgusting way”.

“She is remorseful and her daughter has sent her a text message before the court hearing wishing her well.”

Judge Peter Heywood told the couple: “Your behaviour was disgraceful and you used vile language.

“We live in a liberal and enlightened society and these sorts of racist behaviour cannot be tolerated.

“The way you reacted was totally inappropriate.

“I would be failing in my public duty if I was to do anything other than to impose a custodial sentence

BBC News

Suspended term for EDL protester

By
July 18, 2013
EDL, English Defence League, Racial Conviction, racially aggravated harassment, Suspended sentence

A man travelled to an English Defence League march in Leicester because he knew there might be trouble and he could shout and scream at Asian people, a court heard yesterday.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Dodds told Leicester Magistrates Court that Daniel John Buckley told police that was why he had made the journey.

Buckley, 27, of Oakley Road, Long Eaton, Nottingham, admitted racially aggravated harassment and obstructing a police officer.

Eve Patterson, in mitigation, said Buckley had an alcohol problem

He was given an eight-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to attend a course to address his alcohol problem.

Leicester Mercury