Ebbw Vale man jailed for threat to blow up mosque in Gwent

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February 19, 2021
Uncategorized



AN EBBW Vale man has been jailed for six months after threatening to burn down a mosque and “blow up” council buildings.

Robert Armstrong, 45, called 999 on November 24 while walking along Steelworks Road, in Ebbw Vale.

Speaking to the police call handler, Armstrong threatened to kill council officers and members of the Muslim community, particularly those of Pakistani origin, as well as threatening to blow up the Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council offices and a mosque.

Armstrong told the operator: “I have had enough. I have had a gutsful of lockdown. My issues are with the government, the police, and the NHS.

“I am going to f*** up as many lives as I can. By the time I am finished the Muslim community in Wales will be p***** off because I will murder them.

“The council are my top target. You better get everyone out of that building because I will blow it up.”

Prosecuting, Lowri Wynn Morgan said Armstrong, of Station Road, Waunlwyd, told the call handler that if she sent officers to find him, he would “send your officers back in body bags.”

Officers were sent to stop the defendant as he walked along Steelworks Road, and he was arrested after being Tasered.

Stuart John, in mitigation for Armstrong, who was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday, said the defendant had been suffering with his mental health, having recently moved GP surgeries and being unable to access his prescribed medicine.

Mr John added: “This has been his first taste of custody, and it has been an extremely sobering experience.”

Sentencing Armstrong, Judge Christopher Vosper said it was “not entirely clear what prompted” his “ranting and raving”.

He said: “You threatened to go to Blaenau Gwent council buildings and blow them up, and stab in the neck any council officer you could find.

“You also made threats against the Muslim community, particularly those of Pakistani origin. You threatened to kill them and destroy a mosque.

“The operator says she did not feel threatened and was unsure whether to take the threats seriously but felt she could not disregard them.”

However, Judge Vosper added: “No officer of the council or members of the Muslim community heard these threats being made. The victims never heard them and therefore never suffered any harm.”

He sentenced Armstrong to 26 weeks in prison for each of the offences, to be served concurrently.
South Wales Argus

Rapist told ‘you don’t belong in Liverpool’ after racist city centre rant

By
February 19, 2021
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A judge said John Dunbar’s ‘shameful performance’ at Liverpool One had no place in our city

A racist rapist was told he doesn’t belong in Liverpool after he hurled “vile abuse” at Christmas shoppers.

John Dunbar, aka Stuart Partington, was filmed in Liverpool One launching a tirade of abuse at three Asian men last December.

The 57-year-old was captured on film hurling insults such as “c***s” and “horrible b******s” at passers-by.

Dunbar initially followed two Asian men while telling people to “f*** off” and saying he was Muslim.

After he was challenged by onlookers he told people he had been released from a 26 year prison sentence.

On Friday, a judge at Liverpool Crown Court blasted Dunbar’s behaviour, telling him there is “no place” for racism in Liverpool, which she described as a “welcoming and inclusive city”.

Judge Louis Brandon, sentencing, said: “Liverpool is a welcoming and inclusive city.

“That was demonstrated by the way that those who had the misfortune to deal with you on that day sought to protect each other.

“There is no place in this city for behaviour like that or people like you who hold such offensive views and prowl the streets.

“The public need protecting from you.”

Fiona McNeill, prosecuting, explained that the incident took place on December 2 at around 5pm when Dunbar “approached two Asian males” while “acting in an aggressive manner”.

Ms McNeill told the court that Dunbar followed the two men while shouting at them.

She said: “He was seen approaching two males, telling people to f*** off and said he was Muslim.”

Ms McNeill said he had asked one of the men “if he had cut to his hand” as he waved his bloodied arm in the air.

She added: “He seemed to be accusing the man for the injury to his hand” and is “heard to tell them to stop ganging up on him”.

Footage of the incident was played in the court, and in the video Dunbar shouts at a third man: “I’m not a f***ing radical alright”, adding: “You want to f*** with me bro? I’ve just done 26 years in prison, you mother f***er.

“You wanna f*** with me? I’ll bring the f***ing rain, the f***ing dogs down on you mother f***ers. Now f*** off.”

In the horrific abuse he calls onlookers “c***s” and “horrible b******s” while yelling “that’s right, keep walking”.

Dunbar then continues, and even says: “This is my country, don’t f***ing invade my country with your f***ing s***.”

Gesturing to a cut on his hand Dunbar says “E-N-G-L-I-S-H, English, see that? That’s f***ing English blood”.

In the video Dunbar continues to abuse members of the public and approached Lila Tamea, who filmed the ordeal, and said she had “no words” for the racism.

Ms Tamea was protected by other members of the public who intervened.

He also approaches someone off camera, while a woman can be heard saying “stop being a racist” and shouts: “Let’s go you Muslim c***.”

Footage from the body worn camera on a police officer shows an officer asking about the cut on his hand and offering to take Dunbar to the hospital, which he declines.

When asked what had happened Dunbar replied “I haven’t a clue” and admitted to the officer he had had a drink.

He then becomes agitated saying “I don’t need police, I’m not causing trouble” before the officers arrested him outside WHSmith for a public order offence.

A witness can be heard telling the officer “There’s been about three or four Asian guys, he has thrown racist abuse, I think he has called one a foreign b*****d”.

When arrested Dunbar was silent and refused to provide his name, but then his outburst continues as he shouts: “F*** you mate, f*** you right listening to them.

“So you’re saying I’m being racist what’s racist?”

Dunbar then resists arrests and continues to struggle before officers apply leg restraints and a spit hood and find a razorblade.

He was later charged with assaulting an emergency worker after he headbutted one of the police officers.

Dunbar has 26 previous convictions for 60 offences.

The court heard that in 1991 Dunbar was jailed for rape and a breach of a suspended sentence.

Ms McNeill explained that in 1995 was jailed for life with a recommendation of at least eight years in prison after robbing and terrorising female staff in four shops with a knife and imitation gun.

In his rampage a judge said he “terrorised and tormented” his victims over six hours in Bolton town centre.

Mr Justice Forbes told Dunbar: “You have shown no pity for your victims or remorse for these grave crimes.

“In one case you sexually attacked one of them – it was as bad a case of indecent assault as it is possible to imagine.

“Words cannot express the true measure of the horror and degradation you inflicted upon your victim.”

Dunbar had entered one Bolton store where he produced a handgun and tied up one 40-year-old female victim before doing the same in a second shop.

Dunbar went to a third shop, producing the knife and a handgun and made off with cash before going on to rob the fourth store, where he was “striking the victim several times with a gun causing wounds to her head”.

John Dunbar, aka Stuart Partington, 57

David Lister, defending, said: “The greatest mitigation is his guilty plea. He didn’t plead guilty at his earliest plea trial and preparation hearing, it wasn’t long after he entered his guilty pleas.

“I have had a conference with him before the hearing, he does wish for me to express his apologies and regret for the clear distress he caused to the members of the public who had to witness his frankly appalling behaviour.

“He is remorseful for that behaviour. It is clear Dunbar didn’t cope well in his release from custody.”

Mr Lister explained Dunbar had been serving a 26 year sentence and had been released for six weeks before his rampage.

Mr Listed said Dunbar “wasn’t in receipt of the support he evidently needed”.

Dunbar, of Great Howard Street, Liverpool city centre, admitted two counts of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour, and one count of resisting or obstructing a constable, possession of a bladed article and racially aggravated harassment.

Judge Brandon, summarising the offences, said: “You caused yourself an injury with a blade you were carrying at a busy shopping centre in December when the area was full of families.

“You embarked upon a racist rampage, hurling vile abuse at two young men.”

Judge Brandon said Dunbar then “turned on another member of the public” as he abused other innocent bystanders.

“Nobody should have to put up with that shameful behaviour.”

The judge added: “There were children present, it is obvious from that footage there were a lot of people present in that area Christmas shopping.”

Judge Brandon, referring to the racially aggravated offences, said: “It’s hard to envisage a more serious offence of its type, you continually made racist comments.”

The judge ruled that “serious alarm or distress was caused when you waved around your bloody arm”.

Judge Brandon said: “It is clear from the footage you were embarking on a shameful performance.”

After commenting that he had been under the influence of alcohol at the time the judge said: “I have considered all that has been said on your behalf.”

Judge Brandon noted that Dunbar had mental health difficulties but said: “It has not been suggested any of your difficulties affect your culpability and I do not find that they do.”

“In reality there is little that can be said to mitigate these offences save your guilty pleas.”

Referring to Dunbar’s previous offences Judge Brandon said: “You have made a career out of serious criminal offending.”

Dunbar was jailed for three years.

Liverpool Echo

Ryan Fleming: Neo-Nazi paedophile jailed for messaging children

By
February 13, 2021
Uncategorized

A convicted paedophile and former member of a banned neo-Nazi terrorist group has been jailed for unsupervised contact with children.

Ryan Fleming, 30, of Horsforth, Leeds, was a regional organiser for National Action, which was outlawed in 2016.

Counter terror police who raided his home in December found he was using Instagram to message young teenagers.

On Friday he admitted breaching a sexual harm prevention order and was sentenced to six months in prison.

Sentencing him at Leeds Crown Court, Judge Mushtaq Khokar said Fleming knew “fully well” that what he was doing was forbidden.

The court heard that he used an anonymised account to message children and also joined a chat group containing young participants in which thousands of messages were exchanged.

Ryan Fleming (right) attended a National Action demonstration in Newcastle in 2016

A sexual harm prevention order, which bans Fleming from unsupervised contact with children, was imposed when he was jailed in 2017 for sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl he met on Facebook.

In 2012, he was convicted of falsely imprisoning and sexually abusing a young boy.

Fleming was prolific online, where he promoted the violent Satanist organisation Order of Nine Angles and quoted the Moors murderer Ian Brady.

He spent time as the north-east organiser of National Action, including giving speeches at rallies, before it was banned.

The group was outlawed as a terrorist organisation in 2016 and since then 15 people have been jailed for remaining members.

BBC News

His previous convictions are here and here.

Disgraced ex Gateshead football coach punched man who mocked his convictions on nightclub dancefloor

By
February 11, 2021
Uncategorized

Kane Hutchison, nicknamed the ‘Beast of Bensham’, assaulted the man who made remarks about his convictions for sex offences



A disgraced former football coach and sex offender knocked out a man who mocked his convictions on a nightclub dancefloor, a court heard.

Kane Hutchison, originally from Gateshead, was jailed for four years in 2015 after a jury found him guilty of targeting two teenage boys over the internet and inciting them into sexual activity online.

The 31-year-old, nicknamed the ‘Beast of Bensham’, was already in custody when he stood trial after being sentenced to three years for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy who he had offered to take to watch a football match.

He was released from prison in December 2017, but put back behind bars the next year for breaching the terms of his licence.

Now living in Leeds, Hutchison is in court again after punching a man to the floor in the city’s Tunnel nightclub.

LeedsLive reports that the victim and his group of friends had made remarks about Hutchison’s previous convictions.

Hutchison’s pal Jason Burd then attacked the victim and his friend after they were all kicked out of the nightclub.

Hutchison and Burd, 28, were handed suspended sentences this week at Leeds Crown Court after pleading guilty to a number of offences.

Both groups were kicked out of the club but there was another confrontation outside.

The court was shown CCTV footage of Hutchison’s friend Jason Burd attacking the first victim and his friend and Hutchison joining in.

The first victim suffered bruising to both eyes and his nose and a cut to his head and the second victim suffered a fracture to the middle finger on his right hand.

The court was told Hutchison later apologised to the victims in person and via text and offered to pay them compensation.

In statements, the victims described being afraid to leave their homes after the incident.

Hutchison, of Savoy Court, Bradford Road, Pudsey, Leeds, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray.

He has 13 previous convictions, most of which are for breaches of football banning orders.

He also has previous convictions for sexual offences, including for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy and inciting other underage boys into sexual activity.

The former football coach used his victims’ love of football to groom them, ChronicleLive reported.

Speaking about Hutchison’s attack inside the nightclub, probation officer Eme Musgrove said: “The other group were calling him names in regard to his previous convictions but he has heard [that type of abuse] before so does not know why he reacted that way on this occasion.”

Rukhshanda Hussain, mitigating for Hutchison, said her client believed a punch had been thrown as well as the insults.

She said he was just trying to ‘have his co-defendant’s back’ during the confrontation outside the nightclub but then de-escalated the situation.

She said his apology showed “maturity and contrition”.

The barrister also said Hutchison was born and raised in Gateshead but moved to Leeds to escape “negative influences” and abuse he was getting.

She said he has stopped going out since the incident and will soon be in stable employment and settled accommodation.

Burd, of Manderston Chase, Armley, Leeds, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Hutchison was handed a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity and 200 hours of unpaid work.

Burd was handed a 13-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.

They were both ordered to pay £500 compensation to the first victim and £500 towards prosecution costs.

Burd was also ordered to pay £750 to the second victim.

The Chronicle

His previous conviction can be found here

How did a boy from Cornwall become the UK’s youngest terror offender?

By
February 9, 2021
Uncategorized

A boy from Cornwall is the youngest person in the UK to commit a terrorism offence. The teenager pleaded guilty to 12 offences and was given a two-year youth rehabilitation order instead.

His actions, carried out from his home in the South West, invite two immediate questions.

How and why?

The how is relatively easy to answer. He downloaded a bomb-making guide, while aged only 13, the first of many such documents he would own or share with others.

The why is more complicated.

He was active in online neo-Nazi networks – spaces where he could mask his age and real identity.

In this way, he was able to lead and recruit others.

After first joining extremist forums in 2018, the teenager followed the digital signposts into more private chat groups occupied by people from around the world.

Within months, he was creating the UK version of a neo-Nazi group called Feuerkrieg Division, which – unknown to him – was led by an even younger boy from Estonia.

FKD, since banned as a terrorist organisation in the UK, is one of several similar groups to first emerge online.

The neo-Nazi ideology promoted by FKD is at the furthest end of the extreme right.

It mocks far right organisations which engage in democratic politics or rallies, saying instead the only way forward is to trigger a race war and societal collapse through terrorist violence.

To this end, it glorifies various killers responsible for racist mass murder and provides practical instructions to its members, such as information on how to make and use weapons.

In court, the boy’s lawyers said he was home-schooled by his grandmother, socially isolated, and emotionally undeveloped after experiencing a “simply dreadful childhood” which resulted in him having no contact with his parents.

But, online, rather than seeming passive and lacking in confidence, he was assertive and confident enough to command others.

As a recruiter for FKD, he would send prospective members a list of questions and then vet them for suitability – he recruited five people in this way, although one was an undercover police officer.

He was more at home online than he was in the real world.

However, there is not a binary division between the internet and normal life.

A series of extreme right-wing terror attacks have been spawned online and carried out with an online audience watching, including the Christchurch attack in New Zealand that killed 51 Muslim worshippers.

FKD, despite having such young leading figures, has generated a series of prosecutions around the world involving older people.

  • A Lithuanian member jailed for attempting to detonate explosives in the capital city.
  • In Germany a member convicted of planning violence that posed a threat to the state.

In the UK, a teenager from Rugby called Paul Dunleavy – who was recruited by the Cornish boy – was jailed last year for planning a terrorist attack.

The very nature of these quickly constructed organisations, which employ encrypted apps to communicate and recruit, allows such disparate individuals to come together.

This danger comes from having such groups of people encouraging one other’s worst tendencies.

‘Extreme hatred’

Indeed, the culture of groups like FKD is to make people feel guilty and worthless if they do not act on their violent beliefs.

The Cornish boy, for example, praised the Christchurch attacker.

He encouraged members to be “active” and said that “failure of activity will result in expulsion”.

He continuously posted violent and hateful material. One document stated that “every resistance group uses assassination (murder) and torture (rape) as weapons against the agents of the State”.

Following the boy’s sentencing at the Old Bailey, Ch Supt Jim Pearce, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “The young age of the offender combined with the extreme hatred displayed and the quick progression of his role within the worldwide extremist group brings into sharp focus the real and clear danger of online radicalisation.”

BBC News

Fenham pervert found with more than 500 indecent images of children facing jail

By
February 5, 2021
Uncategorized

Michael Cowen accumulated his disgusting collection over a three-year period on an electronic device at his home

Michael Cowen leaves North Tyneside Magistrates' Court in North Shields (Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

Michael Cowen leaves North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court in North Shields (Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

A paedophile is facing jail after he was caught with a sick stash of more than 500 twisted pictures of children.

Michael Cowen gathered the disgusting collection over a three-year period between 2015 and 2018 from his home in Fenham, Newcastle.

However, the 53-year-old’s secret obsession was eventually unearthed after police discovered 556 vile images of youngsters on one of his electronic devices.

North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard that 170 of the disturbing pictures were category A – the most serious kind, which involve penetrative sexual activity.

Now, Cowen, of Leazes Court, Barrack Road, in Fenham, has been told he is facing a minimum of 26 weeks in prison after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making an indecent image of a child and one of possessing a prohibited image of a child.

Ben Woodward, prosecuting, said Cowen gathered his collection between October 2015 and September 2018.

“I would ask that this matter be committed to the crown court for sentence,” Mr Woodward continued.

“As you have heard, the defendant was in possession of 170 category A images, 113 category B and 273 category C. I think it’s likely to exceed this court’s sentencing powers.

“Category A images runs a minimum of 26 weeks in custody up to three years.”

Michael Gibson, defending, added: “I would not disagree with that.”

Magistrates deemed that their sentencing powers were insufficient and committed Cowen to Newcastle Crown Court.

Chairman of the bench, Keith McIntosh, said: “You have pleaded guilty and, obviously, that will be taken into consideration at sentence.

“We’re going to send the matter to the crown court for sentence.

“You will appear there on March 2 at 10am and you will be on unconditional bail until then.”

The Chronicle

Teenage leader of neo-Nazi group is UK’s youngest terror offender

By
February 1, 2021
Uncategorized

Boy from Cornwall whose offending began at 13 and who founded UK branch of FKD will be sentenced next week

The teenage leader of a neo-Nazi group has been convicted over offending that began at the age of 13, making him the youngest person in the UK known to have committed a terrorist offence.

The boy, from Cornwall, who cannot be identified, appeared before the Old Bailey in London via video link on Monday and admitted 12 offences – two of dissemination of terrorist documents and 10 of possession of terrorist material.

At 13 he downloaded a bombmaking manual and began gathering terrorist material. Later in the same year he joined the neo-Nazi cult Fascist Forge, and at 14 he went on to share far-right extremist ideology in online chatrooms.

The court heard that the youth, now 16, led the British branch of the now banned neo-Nazi terrorist organisation Feuerkrieg Division (FKD). The group idolises mass murderers such as those who carried out far-right terrorist attacks in Norway, the US and New Zealand in recent years. FKD encourages so-called “lone wolf” attacks.

Between October 2018 and July 2019, the boy collected a significant amount of far-right material and was active on online platforms, expressing racist, homophobic and antisemitic views. He talked about gassing Jewish people, hanging gay people and wanting to “shoot up their parades”, the court heard.

Naomi Parsons, prosecuting, said police searched the property where the boy lived with his grandmother following reports that he was constructing a weapon. No weapon was found but officers discovered a Nazi flag and well-known Nazi slogan on the garden shed, as well as several manuals about making weapons and instructions on how to kill people on his phone and computer.

“The age is the alarming factor and his conduct betrays a maturity beyond his chronological age,” Parsons said.

In a police interview, the defendant said he had made racist, homophobic and antisemitic comments “to look cool”.

It was claimed that he was in touch with a 14-year-old Estonian boy who founded the FKD and was responsible for vetting and recruiting members and propaganda. They used encrypted messages to discuss their hatred of particular groups.

The defendant then set up FKD GB and recruited five British members from online platforms, including Paul Dunleavy, 17, from Rugby, who was jailed last year for preparing acts of terrorism.

The cell wanted to enact “white jihad” and the genocide of people who were not white, the court heard.

In mitigation, Deni Matthews said the defendant had a “simply dreadful childhood”, and everything he did was in order to “seek approval” from others online.

The judge Mark Dennis said he would need to consider whether the teenager had been immature or naive before passing sentence. He said: “I need to assess a person of this age who sends these messages, [and] whether this is true beliefs or the product of firstly grooming but then self-aggrandisement and the other matters.”

The boy was granted bail subject to strict conditions including residing at his home and attending youth offending services, along with a ban on using computers without police permission and bans on using any private browsing mode, encryption software or virtual storage devices such as the cloud.

The boy will be sentenced on 8 February.
The Guardian

Drunk plane passenger spewed vile racist rant and gave Nazi salute

By
February 1, 2021
Uncategorized

A racist who made a Nazi salute on a Liverpool-bound flight in front of a Holocaust victim’s family walked free from court.

Louis Mann launched into a horrific tirade of racist and religious abuse on the plane, which had arrived at John Lennon Airport from Poland.

The vile rant was filmed by the family member of Holocaust victims, who said he was left “shaken”, “shocked” and “disgusted”.

The 28-year-old had been a medical student studying in Poland, and says he was groomed by far right extremists, but continued to spout his racist views – even in a report prepared ahead of his appearance at Liverpool Crown Court.

Zillah Williams, prosecuting, said: “The defendant was a passenger on a Wizz Air flight from Poland, Warsaw, to Liverpool on October 19, 2019.

“The flight arrived at Liverpool John Lennon Airport at 5.37pm.”

Ms Williams said: “The flight was full and passengers reported during the flight Mr Mann had had to be repeatedly asked to sit down, to fasten his seatbelt and to refrain from making rude and offensive gestures.”

Ms Williams clarified that the offence for which Mann was charged took place when the flight had landed in Liverpool.

She explained Mann “got out of his seat before permitted to do so” when the seatbelt sign was still on and despite being repeatedly told to sit down by the crew began a “tirade of racial and religious abuse by words and gestures”.

Ms Williams said: “He was standing in the aisle of the flight making a Nazi salute and was shouting ‘Anglo-Saxon race, we are superior’.”

Mann had said: “‘Know your place, don’t answer back, you’re a Slavic race traitor n***** lover.'”

He also used a derogatory word used by the Nazis ‘inferior people’.

Mann was shouting abuse to “Jewish n***** lovers”, Ms Williams explained.

She said: “Mr Tych, a Polish national, was recording him. He was particularly upset, he lost family members during the Holocaust. He was extremely shaken by it.

“He was talking about people being inferior and was being derogatory to Jewish and Black people.

Wlodzimier Tych wrote in a victim impact statement: “Prior to this I have always felt very welcome in this country.

“I have lived in this country for 31 years, I have never experienced this sort of behaviour.

“I am of Jewish origin, this made me feel very shaken and upset, I also felt angry, disgusted and upset as he continued his behaviour regardless of other people’s feelings.”

Ms Williams explained that police boarded the plane at Liverpool and “heard the abuse that was still going on during his arrest”.

The rant continued even when Mann had been transported to the custody suite, telling one constable “You’re alright, you’re Aryan.”

Ms Williams said Mann was “clearly drunk”, which a medical examination confirmed, and was deemed unfit for an interview “for reasons to do with his mental health”.

He has no previous convictions, the court heard.

David Traynor, defending, said the behaviour was “disgraceful” adding “no one should have to observe it”.

He explained Mann was a medical student in Poland and in the weeks leading up to the incident his family “noticed a deterioration” in his mental health.

Mr Traynor explained his “isolation in Poland” and stress from his course “contributed to a deterioration in his mental health”.

He said: “He had a fixed view that he had meningitis, which seems to have started by rumours in medical school”.

Mr Traynor explained that leading up to the racist hate-speech Mann’s “intake of alcohol increased drastically”.

Citing a report Mr Traynor said there were “links” between his illness and his behaviour and at the time was likely suffering from a “psychotic illness”.

Mr Traynor said Mann had told him when he was in Poland he had been groomed by far right extremist groups which is “where those views come from” and said “that’s where he got the terminology from”.

He told the court that a medical report stated immediate custody would “cause Mann’s mental health to deteriorate” and it would be likely he would self harm if sent to jail.

Mr Traynor explained he lives at his parent’s address and would be able to work with the relevant services in a stable environment if spared jail.

He said: “Mr Mann has been unwell and remains unwell. The public would be best served by him being managed appropriately to ensure incidents like this don’t happen in the future.”

Mr Traynor also referred to a pre sentence report which said Mann has “ongoing mental health” problems with a diagnosis of Autism.

Mann, of Euston Grove, Morecambe, admitted being drunk on the plane but after denying racially aggravated harassment that charge was ordered to lie on file.

The court heard that the charge of Mann being drunk on a plane encapsulated the racial harassment and the judge increased the sentence to reflect the racial element.

Judge Anil Murray, sentencing, labelled it “disgraceful conduct on your part”.

The judge said: “You got on a plane at Warsaw, bound for Liverpool Airport, you were drunk. You had had some warnings when the plane was in the air.

“You got out of your seat and shouted vile racist abuse including Nazi salutes which seriously affected other passengers including someone who had lost family in the Holocaust.

“I can only imagine the effect of your behaviour on him.

“It seems you have entrenched racist views.”

Liverpool Echo

Norfolk-based Brexit Party founder punished for Covid protest

By
January 24, 2021
Uncategorized

The Norfolk-based founder of the Brexit Party has appeared in court having been charged with taking part in a coronavirus protest.

Catherine Blaiklock, who ran for UKIP in Great Yarmouth in the 2017 general election, was part of a gathering of more than six people at Leicester Cathedral during the coronavirus emergency period.

Blaiklock, of Lingwood Road, Lingwood, admitted participating in an outdoor gathering of more than six people in Leicester during the coronavirus emergency period.

The case was before Leicester Magistrates Court on Thursday, January 21.

Blaiklock entered a guilty plea through her solicitor Simon Nicholls.

Mr Nicholls told the court his client was not a Covid denier and accepted that coronavirus was real.

He said her eldest daughter was a medical student who has agreed to start giving vaccinations.

But Mr Nicholls said Blaiklock was a libertarian who believed the coronavirus regulations had not been thought through and were too draconian.

He said she believed the government had got it all wrong.

Blaiklock was fined £390, ordered to pay £85 costs and a £39 surcharge.

After joining UKIP in 2014, Blaiklock went onto found the Brexit Party alongside Nigel Farage.

She stood down from the party in March 2019 over anti-Islam tweets.

Blaiklock’s case was listed alongside three others, including Piers Corbyn, the brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who were charged with the same offence on July 7 last year.

Corbyn, 73, from London, and the two others pleaded not guilty to the offence and will stand trial at Leicester in June.

Corbyn, a high-profile coronavirus sceptic, is due to stand trial at Great Yarmouth Magistrates Court in March after having been part of an anti-coronavirus protest in Norwich in September last year.

He has denied a charge of holding or being involved in holding a prohibited gathering of more than 30 people on land in a public outdoor place during the emergency period.

Demonstrators wielding placards gathered at the Haymarket on Gentleman’s Walk in the city centre at shortly after midday on September 24.

A crowd of about 50 people took part in the event that was part of a series of 27 protests being held throughout September in towns and cities across the UK – dubbed the ‘Covid-19 Truth Tour’.

Eastern Daily Press

Sunderland man given cannabis plants by friend landed in court after police called at his home

By
January 24, 2021
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A man given five cannabis plants as reward for helping a pal clear away a drugs farm was caught when police called at his home on an unrelated inquiry.

Kieron Wright, 27, at first refused to come to the door of his home in Grafton Street, Millfield, Sunderland – and his mum even denied he was at home.

When he then climbed out onto a roof to shout to ask them what they wanted on Tuesday, September 8, officers could already smell the drug from the street.

Wright then came clean about his crime – but his openness led to him being charged with a more serious offence, magistrates in South Tyneside were told.

They heard he told police how he had attained the batch, meaning he was charged with cannabis production rather than possession.

Prosecutor Marc Atkins said: “Officers attended an address in Grafton Street, in order to arrest the defendant for another offence.

“The defendant’s mother said he wasn’t at the property, but the defendant then climbed out of the loft and came onto the roof and asked what they wanted.

“He refused to come down to the door. To his credit, he told them that he had cannabis in the loft that they could also smell.

“After about ten minutes he let them in. There is cannabis bush on the loft floor and some more hanging on a radiator.

“He told officers that he had helped a friend dismantle a cannabis farm and that he was given five plants.

“There was 215g of cannabis, which was for his own use. There was no equipment for commercial production.”

Mark McAlindon, defending, said Wright had previously used crack cocaine and switching to cannabis was a way to move to a lesser drug.

He added: “The yield from the drugs was about 40g. It’s now an offence of some age.

“This could have been charged as possession, but it was production due to what he said in his interview.”Wright was fined £120 after pleading guilty to production of a controlled Class B drug, and must pay £85 court costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

Sunderland Echo