Man who built homemade taser to threaten Muslims jailed

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September 7, 2019
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A man known for expressing extreme right wing views has been jailed for building a homemade taser and threatening to attack Muslims.

Darren Dale, from Blackpool, was being monitored by police officers before his arrest. When they attended his home on Valentines Day for a pre-arranged visit, he made racist comments, Preston Crown Court heard.

He went on to detail his violent plans to attack and kill Muslims.

The 41-year-old the showed the officers several weapons he had obtained, including a steel bar from a dumb bell, a knife and two tasers.

He had made one of the two tasers himself and that it was as powerful as a police one. It simply needed a battery to work, he said.

He added that he had been watching YouTube videos on making explosive devices.

After obtaining permission to search his property, officers later arrested Dale and recovered the weapons. They also found black plastic block with wires sticking out.

Charged with threats to kill and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, Dale pleaded guilty to both counts and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

“It’s horrifying that an individual planned to carry out a pre-empted venomous attack intending to harm people because of their religion,” said Detective Superintendent Will Chatterton of Greater Manchester Police after the trial. “As a result of our police officers working closely with Counter Terrorism specialists, Dale’s intentions were thwarted long before he could ever carry them out and I hope that is a fact that gives people good reason to be confident in the ability of the police to identify, prevent and prosecute such offenders.

“Our first priority will always be to keep people safe.”

The sentencing comes amid heightened concern over the far-right terror threat, which has been incorporated into government assessments for the first time.

Recent statistics released by the Home Office showed that more than half of a record number of religiously-motivated hate crimes were directed at Muslims in 2017/18.

The number of people referred to the Prevent counter-extremism programme over suspected far-right extremism has rocketed by 36 per cent in the same period.

British security services say Isis-inspired groups and individuals pose the biggest threat to the UK, but five right-wing terror plots have been foiled since March 2017.

The Independent

Stanwell Tesco knifeman ‘aimed to strike fear in Muslim hearts’

By
September 5, 2019
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A far-right extremist watched a video of the Christchurch terror attack before slashing a 19-year-old Bulgarian with a knife, a court has heard.

Vincent Fuller, of Stanwell, Surrey, has previously admitted attempted murder at Kingston Crown Court.

The 50-year-old denies a terrorist motive and Judge Peter Lodder QC must rule on the issue before sentencing.

The court heard Fuller, who went on “a rampage” in Stanwell, intended to strike fear into the hearts of Muslims.

Fuller, of Viola Avenue, carried out his 16 March attack the day after the murder of 51 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand by a white supremacist, who livestreamed the shootings online.

A video excerpt of the massacre on Fuller’s phone was played to the court.

The court was told Fuller, before the attack, wrote on Facebook to get “non-English … out of England” and showing support for the events in New Zealand.

Video, taken from a doorbell and played to the court, showed Fuller carrying a baseball bat and seeking entry into a house, shouting racist abuse.

Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay described how a neighbour heard him say: “All Muslims should die. White supremacists rule. I’m going to murder a Muslim.”

Fuller walked along a road swinging a bat at cars before returning home to arm himself with a 12-inch kitchen knife, the court heard.

At a local Tesco car park, he attacked two occupants of one car – Dimitar Mihaylov and his black friend – after he walked past two white people in another vehicle, Mr Polnay said.

The court heard Mr Mihaylov was parked with his window down when a man approached, carrying a knife, and told him “you’re going to die”.

Mr Mihaylov’s hand was badly injured when he held it up to protect himself and the knife clipped his neck, the court heard.

Fuller then racially abused the armed officers who arrested him, calling them “race traitors”, Mr Polnay said.

Eventually during interviews, Fuller told detectives he had been drinking cider and super-strength beer and could not remember events.

A victim impact statement from self-employed Mr Mihaylov described how he will never regain full sensation in his hand, was unable to work for three months and can no longer work as a specialist roofer, leading to reduced income, and has increased anxiety.

Fuller admits his attack was racially and religiously motivated, but denies a terrorist motive.

He has also admitted possession of a bladed article, affray, and causing racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress.

The hearing was adjourned.

BBC News

Neo-Nazi stickers on lamp-posts: Grimsby man is jailed

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September 5, 2019
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A man who posted neo-Nazi stickers on lamp-posts has been jailed for 30 months.

Nathan Worrell, 46, was found guilty of eight offences of stirring up racial hatred at Grimsby Crown Court.

During the trial, Worrell denied the Holocaust took place and said he had been a member of the Ku Klux Klan.

He was jailed for seven years and three months in 2008 for possessing bomb-making materials and waging a hate campaign against a mixed-race couple.

Worrell described himself in court as an “ethno-nationalist” and said he did not believe in “diversity or multiculturalism”.

A police raid on his home in Scott Close, Grimsby found clothing, photographs, fridge magnets and pin badges bearing Nazi symbolism.

He posted his home-made stickers with highly offensive comments on lamp-posts and street furniture in Grimsby and Hull.
‘Abhorrent’

Worrell defended his actions in court as freedom of speech

Sentencing, Judge Paul Watson QC said Worrell was “wedded to the cause of far right nationalism and national socialism”.

The judge made it clear he was not sentencing for political views “however abhorrent they may be”.

He told Worrell: “Your conduct went far beyond the limits of freedom of opinion and expression which the law permits.”

Det Ch Supt Martin Snowden from Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: “These offences clearly show that Worrell has not learnt or changed his behaviour despite serving a previous prison sentence.

“By obtaining and distributing these hateful messages Worrell is inciting hatred, potentially threatening public safety and security as well as the stability of the local community.”

BBC News

Man Sentenced For Sending ‘Punish A Muslim’ Letters

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September 3, 2019
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David Parnham admitting sending the letters after he was arrested by counter-terrorism police.

A self-styled “Muslim Slayer” who sent the Queen fake anthrax with a note saying “The Clowns R coming 4 you” has been locked up for 12 and a half years.

White supremacist David Parnham, 36, wrote to prominent figures including the Queen and former prime ministers Theresa May and David Cameron as part of a two-year hate campaign.

The IT systems analyst also caused widespread fear and upset through “Punish A Muslim Day” letters, encouraging violence in the community, the Old Bailey heard.

He tried to instil further alarm by posting white powder in the hope it would be mistaken for anthrax, the court heard.

When the Queen was sent an envelope containing the substance, a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) response was launched.

Members of the royal household were kept separate from other staff and became “anxious for their health” and the safety of colleagues, the court heard.

Parnham pleaded guilty to 15 offences relating to hundreds of letters written between June 2016 and June 2018.

The charges included encouraging murder, making hoaxes involving noxious substances and bombs, sending letters with intent to cause distress, and encouraging offences.

Judge Anthony Leonard QC said Parnham had been suffering from an autistic spectrum disorder but rejected the suggestion he was psychotic at the time of the offences.

He sentenced Parnham to 12 years and six months in custody to be served in hospital until he is well enough to be transferred to prison.

Judge Leonard told Parnham: “You have yet to appreciate the seriousness of what you have done and seem to want to return to the community at the earliest opportunity to live with your parents.”

Parnham’s failure to appreciate the harm he caused to the Muslim and wider community meant the risk of reoffending was greater, the judge said.

The court heard that Parnham’s activities first came to the attention of authorities in July 2016 when seven letters were intercepted at a Sheffield mail centre and found to contain harmless white powder.

A further 11 letters were identified as having been delivered.

A letter to Cameron contained the wording “Allah is great”, while letters to MPs and mosques contained strong racist language.

In October 2016, more letters containing white powder said “The Clowns R coming 4 you” and were intended to reach the Queen and May.

In December 2016, Parnham sent a fan letter to Dylann Roof, the white supremacist gunman responsible for killing nine black church goers in Charleston, South Carolina.

He told Roof: “I just wanted to thank you for opening my eyes. Ever since you carried out what I’d call the ‘cleansing’ I’ve felt differently about what you’d call ‘racial awareness’.”

In February 2007, letters were sent to mosques and Islamic centres around the UK.

A letter to Berkeley Street Mosque in Hull contained a drawing of a sword with a swastika on it cutting someone’s head off, with the words: “You are going to be slaughtered very soon.”

The author signed off as “Muslim Slayer”.

In March 2017, letters were sent to addresses around the University of Sheffield campus calling for the extermination of minority racial and religious groups.

They contained suggestions on how to kill people and an offer to make a donation of £100 to charity for each death.

In 2018, the series of typed “Punish A Muslim Day” letters were sent to a large number of people, encouraging violence on April 3 2018 – Roof’s birthday.

Parnham, of St Andrew’s Close in Lincoln, was caught through DNA, handwriting and fingerprints on the letters.

Psychiatrists disagreed on whether he had been psychotic at the time he committed the offences.

Dr Martin Lock expressed concern that the defendant had attempted to “mislead” medical professionals.

He told the court Parnham felt “disgusted and ashamed” of what he had done but did not regard it as very “serious”.

Parnham told Dr Lock: “I just wrote letters, I did not mean for anyone to feel fear.”

Dr Paul Wallang said Parnham was suffering a psychotic illness and had felt “paranoia and suspiciousness”, particularly towards religious groups and prominent individuals.

However, he conceded it was possible Parnham could have “pulled he wool” over the eyes of medical professionals dealing with his case.
Related…

Huff Post

Man jailed for shouting ‘heil Hitler’ and ‘go have a sausage sandwich’ at Jewish family in London

By
September 3, 2019
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‘It is hard to believe that crimes like this are still being committed,’ prosecutors say

A man has been jailed for shouting, “one, two, three, heil Hitler!” at a Jewish family on a London bus.

David Aherne also told the family to “go have a sausage sandwich” during the antisemitic rant aboard the 149 bus in Hackney.

After police were called, Aherne even threatened to pull down his trousers in front of the children when their parents tried to prevent him getting off the bus, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Elaine Cousins, a senior Crown prosecutor in north London, said in a statement: “This was a cruel verbal attack on people simply going about their business. The family were subjected to extremely racist and offensive language during the tirade.

“It is hard to believe that crimes like this are still being committed. Unfortunately for the victim and his family, the flagrant disregard and respect for other races and religions shown was exposed in the most offensive of displays.

“The incident was acutely distressing for the family and the wider Jewish community, some of whom were present.”

She added: “Antisemitism has no place in our society and the CPS will prosecute those who carry out hate crimes where there is the evidence to do so.”

Aherne, 54, of Tottenham, admitted one count each of racially and religiously aggravated intentional harassment.

The incident took place on 10 July and Aherne pleaded guilty on 13 August.

He was jailed for 12 weeks at Wood Green Crown Court on Tuesday.

The Independent

Viewers slam ‘pathetic’ sentence given to vile racist who abused police officer on Call the Cops

By
September 3, 2019
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Michael Westwood was filmed hurling abhorrent abuse at police officer Sam.

The sentence given to a racist who hurled vile abuse at a black police officer has been branded “pathetic” after the shocking incident was shown on last night’s episode of Call the Cops.

Viewers were given a glimpse of the abuse suffered by police officers working on the front line in the third episode of the Channel 4 show.

Officers Sam and Josh were filmed responding to a hostile incident involving a couple at an address in Plymouth.

Viewers watched in horror as Michael Westwood made repetitive references to the colour of Sam’s skin, along with references to an Islamaphobic organisation during a prolonged verbal attack.

Westwood was arrested for a racially aggravated public order offence.

The footage left viewers reeling in anger.

Following the show, Devon and Cornwall Police revealed the sentence handed to Westwood, who failed to turn up to his sentencing hearing.

In a tweet the force said: “For those who watched episode three of #CallTheCops, Michael Westwood was charged and pled guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence.

“He didn’t appear at the hearing which took place at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court in August,

“In his absence Westwood was fined £350 plus costs of £85 to go to the CPS and a surcharge of £35.

“Victim compensation was set at £50.

“Unacceptable

Viewers were quick to hit out at the sentence, branding it “pathetic”, “disgraceful” and “shameful”.

One said: “And this is why criminals don’t give a toss, no consequences. That guy made me, just a normal white guy, feel ashamed of my so called fellow race.”

Another added: “Is that it?! So he probably doesn’t have a job and WE will end up paying it. Not a deterrent at all that is it?! Sad times.”

Many felt the offence justified a prison sentence.

One person tweeted: “That is a shameful. That guy deserved jail time.”

While a second viewer wrote: “Should have been jailed for at least 5 yrs…no wonder crime is rife….no punishment!”

There was also widespread support and praise for Sam, who revealed the force had offered to take him off the front line in order to protect him for abuse.

Sam’s experience

Speaking about the racial abuse he has received throughout his career, Sam said: “In all seriousness, I have lost count of the amount of times I’ve been racially abused.

“Peoples attitude towards race had on the whole got better, with the exception of three years ago when the political world started to change.”

Sam went on to admit that the force gave him the option of leaving the front line, in an attempt to stop the racial abuse.

“In 2016 the force legal team, their concern was my welfare,” he said.

“They wanted to know whether I wanted to remain as a response office or whether I wanted to be removed from the front line to save myself being racially abused.

“My response to that was I joined the police to be a response officer and work on the front line. If someone racially abuses me because of the colour of my skin, I’m not the one who has the problem, they’re the ones that have the problem.

“They’re the ones that are going to have to learn that black police officers, male or female reflect the society we live in and we make society safe.

“That was the message I wanted our senior management to be aware of.”

Plymouth Herald

Mo Salah: Man sentenced over racist tweets about Liverpool star

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August 30, 2019
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A man who posted racist tweets about Liverpool FC footballer Mohamed Salah has received a suspended jail sentence.

During an online chat with Liverpool fans, Gary Hyland, 32, from Bootle, Merseyside, joked about the Egyptian striker praying to Mecca at half-time and sent altered images of the whole team praying to Allah.

A supporter asked him: “What’s the issue with Muslims lad? Can you even articulate it?”

Hyland – reportedly an Everton fan – then sent a photograph of Salah with a suicide vest superimposed on the top part of the player’s body as well as making racist remarks about Salah and sending further images that poked fun at people praying to Allah.

The tweets on August 6 were reported to Merseyside Police and two days later Hyland was arrested at his home.

Hyland later said to officers: “I know I’ll get charged. It was me.”

Earlier this month he pleaded guilty to racially/religiously aggravated intentional harassment and obstructing an officer in the execution of his duty.

On Friday he was given a six-week jail term, suspended for 12 months, said the Crown Prosecution Service.

Sefton magistrates also ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work in the community and 14 days of a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, including attending a Promoting Human Dignity Course.

Angela Conlan, of Mersey Cheshire Crown Prosecution Service, said: “He pleaded guilty and admitted what he’d done was stupid. These sorts of remarks fuel racial hatred and are extremely offensive to people from the race or religion that they are aimed at.

“Mohamed Salah does not deserve to be the object of abuse and neither does any person in a civilised society. The tweets were sent in the early hours of the morning and Hyland turned a discussion into a racist rant.

“That is not acceptable. Let this be a lesson to everyone that words can hurt and society has standards that must be upheld.”

Evening Standard

Man who posed with fake shotgun convicted of inciting hatred against Muslims

By
August 30, 2019
Uncategorized

Jay Davison wrote ‘heil, heil, heil’ in a series of racist Instagram posts

Jay Davison admitted posting the photos but claimed he was drunk and did not mean to incite hatred ( CPS )

A man who posed with a fake shotgun and urged people to “stand up” has been convicted of stirring up religious hatred against Muslims.

Jay Davison talked about “Aryans” and wrote “heil, heil, heil” in a series of Instagram posts and comments.

A photo showed the 38-year-old posing topless holding what appeared to be a large shotgun, with the caption: “F*** Allah”.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that he shared a second photo with the fake weapon in August last year, and wrote a series of racist comments.

“Ever seen a white man cut a head off? No because they’re f***ing scum. Heil, heil, heil, heil, f*** Allah c***,” one read.

“When has an Aryan cut another man’s head off?” said another comment.

The posts were published on a private Instagram account with 394 followers, but the police were alerted after screen shots were posted to a WhatsApp group later the same day.

When Davison was arrested days later, he admitted posting the messages after an evening of drinking but claimed he was not racist and did not intend to incite racial hatred.

He said that the photos were taken at a friend’s house with an ornamental gun but he refused to name the friend.

However, prosecutors said his comments urged people to “stand up” and contained phrases associated with Nazism and white supremacy.

Davison, of Rhiwbina in Cardiff, was found guilty of stirring up racial and religious hatred on Wednesday.

Jenny Hopkins, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “The material Davison posted was clearly threatening, abusive and insulting. His intention can only have been to stir up religious and racial hatred.

“His defence that he regretted his actions and was drunk was rejected by the jury.

“This is a warning to people that posting material online can have damaging consequences for them offline.”

Davison will be sentenced at a later date for one count of publishing material with intent to stir up religious hatred and two counts of publishing material with intent to stir up racial hatred.

He was found not guilty of two further counts of stirring up religious hatred.

The case comes amid heightened concern over the far-right terror threat, which has been incorporated into government assessments for the first time.

Statistics released by the Home Office showed that more than half of a record number of religiously-motivated hate crimes were directed at Muslims in 2017/18.

The number of people referred to the Prevent counter-extremism programme over suspected far-right extremism has rocketed by 36 per cent in the same period.

British security services say Isis-inspired groups and individuals pose the biggest threat to the UK, but five right-wing terror plots have been foiled since March 2017.

The Independent.

Man who posted Instagram pictures with gun and racist captions found guilty of inciting racial hatred

By
August 28, 2019
Uncategorized

Jay Davison, 38, posted two photos on Instagram of himself bare-chested holding what appeared to be a shotgun and posted a series of anti-Islamic comments

Jay Davison, 38, was found guilty of inciting racial and religious hatred (Image: Wales News Service)


A man who posed with a gun and posted offensive and racist comments on social media has been found guilty of inciting racial and religious hatred.

Jay Davison, 38, posted two photos on Instagram of himself bare-chested holding what appeared to be a shotgun and posted a series of anti-Islamic comments .

These included references to the Nazi terms “Heil” and “Aryan” and referred to the Islamic god Allah as a “c***”.

The comments themselves included the phrase “f*** Allah” and the term “‘f*** you racist Allah c****”.

The self-employed electrician also posted: “Ever seen a white man cut a head off? No because they’re f****** scum. Heil, heil, heil, heil, f*** Allah c***” and “When has an Aryan cut another man’s head off?”.

The posts came to light after one of Davison’s followers took a screenshot of the pictures and comments and posted them to a separate WhatsApp group.

Another member of that group was concerned Davison was threatening violence towards the Muslim community and reported the posts to the police.

A trial at Cardiff Crown Court heard that Davison, of Rhiwbina , Cardiff , was a recovering alcoholic who claimed to have posted the messages while heavily intoxicated. He denied being a racist or anti-Muslim.

Giving evidence during the trial he said: “It was terrible judgement on my behalf and I should not have posted it. It was drunken stupidity. When I am sober I am a completely different person.

“I was at a low ebb, rock bottom, I had no self-esteem and was seeking attention from others.”

On Wednesday a jury took just over an hour to return their verdicts. Davison was found guilty of one count of inciting religious hatred and two counts of inciting racial hatred. He was found not guilty of two counts of inciting religious hatred.

Davison’s barrister asked Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke to adjourn his client’s sentencing for a pre-sentence report to be carried out and for Davison to be bailed so he could “get his affairs in order”.

Addressing the defendant, Judge Lloyd-Clarke said: “You have been convicted of a number of serious offences and an immediate custodial sentence is inevitable.

“I am going to order a pre-sentence report but I am going to remand you in custody.”

Davison, of Craig yr Allt, will appear at the same court for sentencing on Monday, September 23.

Wales Online

Sunderland yob who ripped off woman’s niqab jailed after attacking former female friend with hammer while out on licence

By
August 27, 2019
Uncategorized

A yob who made headlines when he ripped a woman’s niqab from her face in Sunderland has been jailed after attacking a former female friend with a hammer.

Peter Scotter, 58, hit the woman on the head with the tool in a pub in Sunderland, causing a 5.5cm laceration to the top of her head after she spurned his advances.

At the time of the attack Scotter was on licence for racially aggravated common assault after he tore a headscarf from a Muslim woman in The Bridges shopping centre.

Scotter had told his victim, “you’re in our country now, get out”, and, “our Britain, you live by our rules”, as racial tension in the country ran high in the days after Britain voted to leave the EU.

He was jailed for 15 months before being released on licence.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how at around 10pm on September 3 last year Scotter entered The Charltons pub in Sunderland.

Harry Hadfield, prosecuting, told the court the victim regarded him as a friend until he asked her to be his girlfriend, after which she avoided him.

Mr Hadfield said: “She was standing at the bar and recalls the defendant spoke to her.

“What she felt was a painful blow to the top of her head and when she looked up what she saw was the defendant with a hammer in his hand.

“She was struck with a hammer, one blow, when they were face to face.”

Scotter was then escorted out by other people in the pub.

Mr Hadfield told the court that in her victim impact statement the woman had said she had done absolutely nothing to deserve the attack, felt he could have “killed her” and was now anxious to leave her home.

On July 3 2016 Scotter, who at the time had 70 previous convictions, had approached a 29-year-old Muslim woman while she waited for her husband outside a shop.

He then reached out and pulled her niqab veil from her head and threw it on the ground – exposing her face to the public.

The court heard how Scotter shouted, “take that off, you stupid Muslim”, along with other racist slurs and the victim was left exposed and scared by what happened to her.

In relation to the most recent case Anthony Hawks, defending, said: “It is important that the events be looked at against the background.

“The background is that despite what the complainant says, it is she who wanted to have a relationship with the defendant who is married. He declined that.”

Mr Hawks said that Scotter said she had begun a campaign, including posts on social media against him, which lead him to believe that she was responsible for intimidating his mother.

He told the court: “That’s what caused the red mist to descend and for him to behave in the way he did.

“Nothing can justify what the defendant did, it was a cowardly and disgraceful thing to do and the defendant knows that.”

He added that Scotter is working and has stayed out of trouble for the last year since the incident.

Scotter pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and having an offensive weapon at an earlier hearing.

Mr Recorder Andrew Dallas sentenced Scotter, of Hendon Close, Sunderland, to 12-months imprisonment and said: “This was an extremely serious incident.

“It was not spontaneous, it was premeditated.

“You have an appalling record, especially for violence.”

Mr Recorder Dallas also put a five-year restraining order in place, preventing him from contacting the victim and ordered Scotter to pay a victim surcharge.`

Sunderland Echo