Four deny charges after city’s English Defence League march

By
July 19, 2013
EDL, English Defence League, possessing an offensive weapon, Racial Conviction, racially aggravated abusive words

FOUR men arrested on suspicion of causing disorder on the day the English Defence League protested in Leicester have appeared in court.

Officers arrested 17 people after trouble broke out on October 9 when 1,000 EDL members staged a demonstration in the city centre.

Yesterday, at Leicester Magistrates’ Court, Mark Bircham (23), of Boulter Crescent, Wigston, denied using threatening, abusive or disorderly behaviour and assaulting a police officer. He will face trial before magistrates on January 11.

Scott Kervin (30), of Castle Place, Abergele, Wales, denied having an offensive weapon, a pair of gloves containing ball bearings. He also denied using threatening, abusive or disorderly behaviour and will face trial before the city’s magistrates on January 18

Mark Turnbull (38), of Rawling Road, Gateshead, denied using threatening, abusive or disorderly behaviour and resisting a police sergeant. His trial will take place before magistrates on January 18.

Lee Whitby (27), of Harley Place, Stoke-on-Trent, denied using racially aggravated abusive words and will stand trial on November 26.

All four were released on bail on the condition they do not attend any meetings of the English Defence League, The Scottish Defence League or the Welsh Defence League or attend any anti-Islamic meetings of more than three people.

After the hearings, a Leicestershire police spokesman said: “Investigations into other offences that took place that day are still ongoing as a team of officers look into crimes reported during and after the protests.

“Detectives are speaking to witnesses and examining CCTV evidence in a bid to identify more offenders.”

This is Leicester

Pair locked up over EDL demo near Eureka

By
July 19, 2013
ASBO, EDL, English Defence League, Jailed

A 21-year-old Rochdale man and a 16-year-old youth from Stockport have been locked up by a judge for their part in disturbances involving English Defence League supporters at the Eureka Museum in Halifax.

Michael Kelly, of Sykes Court, Rochdale, and the teenager, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had travelled to West Yorkshire in July last year for an EDL demonstration in the car park of the popular family attraction.

Bradford Crown Court heard that although it was a Saturday the museum itself was closed to the public and only some staff were on duty that afternoon.

Prosecutor David McGonigal told the court how the Unite Against Facism group were due to hold a counter demonstration about a mile away, but police became concerned about possible clashes when about 50 EDL supporters headed towards the King Cross Road area.

A bus was provided to take the EDL followers to the Eureka car park and Mr McGonigal said it was at about 1.30pm when between 200 and 300 EDL demonstrators broke through the fence at the museum and confronted a small number of police officers.

Mr McGonigal said rocks and bottles were thrown towards officers who were in their normal uniforms and the crowd was shouting and gesticulating aggressively.

Staff inside the museum were frightened by the incident and some of the crowd made their way around to the side of the museum where industrial-size bins were overturned and damage caused to fencing.

Mr McGonigal said the demonstrators were eventually contained by officers in riot gear, police dogs and mounted police.

Kelly, who had earlier been filmed in Sowerby Bridge wearing a skull mask, was one of those who went through the broken fence into the museum grounds and Mr McGonigal alleged that at one stage he could be seen charging towards the police officers.

Kelly, who has a previous conviction for threatening behaviour at a football match, admitted violent disorder on the basis that he had no thrown anything at the police himself.

Kelly, who was arrested in December, said he was not a member of the EDL but had wanted to take part in a peaceful manner.

He said he was part of the crowd and blamed the police for “hemming” them in at the car park.

He said he wasn’t charging at the police, but simply trying to get out of the museum grounds.

Kelly was jailed for nine months by Judge Peter Benson who also imposed a two-year anti-social behaviour order on the defendant.

The 16-year-old, who also admitted violent disorder, was shown on CCTV footage kicking at the fence before it is broken down.

At the time the youngster was wearing a scarf over his face.

The teenager was sentenced to a six-month detention and training order and he was also made the subject of a two-year ASBO

Halifax Courier

Mansfield man gets eight weeks in jail for role in EDL protests.

By
July 19, 2013
criminal damage, EDL, English Defence League, Jailed

A MANSFIELD man has been jailed for eight weeks for causing criminal damage during English Defence League and Unite Against Fascism protests in the Leicester.

John Kavanagh, 22, of Fritchley Court, pleaded guilty at Leicester Magistrates’ Court to two charges of criminal damage.

The incidents happened on October 9 last year, when damage was caused to windows at Fabrika Bar at the Arts Centre in Humberstone Gate East.

Damage was also caused to police barriers placed on Humberstone Gate

This is Nottingham

Businessman filmed throwing missiles on EDL march

By
July 19, 2013
affray, EDL, English Defence League

A businessman who hurled missiles as he marched through Bristol with the English Defence League handed himself into the authorities when he realised he was a wanted man.

Barry Johnson was one of hundreds of marchers who took part in the high-profile demonstration through the city centre in July last year.

Bristol Crown Court heard how he was caught on film by a cameraman and images were later posted online by Avon and Somerset police in a bid to track him down.

When he saw the images Johnson travelled from his home in Peterborough to admit his involvement in the incident.

The 29-year-old from Poplar Avenue, Peterborough, pleaded guilty to affray when he appeared in court. Judge Martin Picton told him: “Throwing missiles is clearly dangerous. Someone could have been hurt.” The judge handed Johnson a three- month prison sentence which was suspended for a year. He also fined him £250 and ordered him to pay £85 towards court costs.

Richard Posner, prosecuting, said: “On July 14 in Bristol there was a demonstration and march by the English Defence League in the centre of Bristol.

“The group was formed in 2009 and it claims to oppose Islamic extremism. It chose to assemble in Bristol and march. That led to tension with United Against Fascism, and there was anticipated to be tension between the two groups.”

He added: “Police went to the city centre to quell disorder.”

Mr Posner told the court that police filmed Johnson in the thick of the crowd, throwing two missiles in the direction of the UAF supporters with no apparent provocation.

He said it was impossible to say if anyone was struck and there was no other violence taking place at the time of the incident. The judge was shown the police footage which captured the offence. Johnson was in the middle of a crowd of jostling and gesticulating EDL marchers.

Mr Posner said: “There was an intention to identify people and the defendant was identified in that way. “He handed himself in. He had seen himself on the Avon and Somerset police website, which asked Do you know who these people are?”

When Johnson handed himself in police interviewed him but he made no comment about the incident. His criminal record revealed he had previous convictions for football- related violent disorder.

Johnson represented himself in court but, other than handing the judge a letter, said nothing in his defence. The judge confirmed he had read a pre-sentence report from the probation service which revealed Johnson ran his own business with his brother.

South West Business

Drunken Bristol father of six who groped a teenage girl gets suspended sentence

By
July 19, 2013
sex abuse, Suspended sentence

A FOOTBALL hooligan who groped a 14-year-old girl on a bus has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

Drunken Kevin Jenkins, 45, sexually assaulted the schoolgirl as she made her way home from the ice rink in Bristol city centre.

Jenkins asked the teenager to eat a Malteser out of his hand before grabbing her thighs and buttocks as she walked past, Bristol Magistrates’ Court heard.

The court was told the assault, which Jenkins admitted at an earlier hearing, had left the girl feeling withdrawn, frightened and embarrassed.

Father-of-six Jenkins targeted the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at 10.45pm on January 16 after drinking heavily with a friend.

Neil Treharne, prosecuting, said Jenkins put his leg across the gangway of the bus to stop the girl passing then told her she could only get by if she ate one of his Maltesers.

When she refused, he asked her to eat it from his hand before forcing the chocolate into her mouth, the court heard.

Mr Treharne said that as he allowed the teenager to pass him, Jenkins rubbed the girl’s thighs and buttocks with his hands before telling her to “jog on”.

The court was told the teenager now suffers with anxiety and had felt “physically sick” on seeing Jenkins at a bus stop since the attack.

Mr Treharne said Bristol Rovers supporter Jenkins, of Mancroft Avenue, Lawrence Weston, had 17 offences to his name and had been made the subject of a football banning order.

Victoria Ellis, defending, said her client was ashamed and disgusted by his actions. She said: “He has six children and if something like this happened to one of his own daughters he would be horrified. He has a very sketchy memory of that night and the only way he can explain his behaviour is that he had consumed an extremely large amount of alcohol.”

Magistrates handed Jenkins a 10-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered him to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.

He will be added to the sex offenders’ register and was told to take part in a 12-month community order, attend a programme for substance-related crime, pay £250 in compensation to the girl and £60 court costs.


This is Bristol

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

The Facebook chat that cost Shaun Rossington his life.

By
July 19, 2013
Jailed, murder

LIKE millions of other young people, Shaun Rossington used the internet to while away the hours chatting to friends.

As he logged onto his Facebook profile on the evening of June 2 last year, it is likely he expected to do little more than catch up on his social life.

He could never have predicted that a conversation he was about to have would ultimately lead to his death.

Shaun, 21, pictured below, entered into an online chat with a 13-year-old girl, who was using a computer at Nicolas Shelbourne’s flat

It was later claimed in court that during the chat, she had offered him a sexual favour in return for money and cigarettes.

The conversation got the attention of Shelbourne, 27, as well as his friends Daryll Jones, 17, Jordan O’Rourke, 17, Mark Jackson, 21 and another 17-year-old girl, who cannot be named.

The young girl arranged to meet Shaun and the others decided to accompany her.

In the early hours of June 3, Shaun met the teenager on grassland off Searby Road, Lincoln.

Moments later, he came face to face with the other five people.

Terrified Shaun gave them cigarettes, but told them he had no money. What followed was a vicious attack that began with a blow to the head with a glass bottle and took him to the ground.

He was then savagely beaten as he lay on the grass, pleading for mercy.

After the attack, Shaun was left with more than 41 separate injuries. During the ten-week trial, Jones was described as having “danced” on Shaun’s head.

It was also claimed he had taken a knife to Shaun’s back.

At one stage, Shelbourne and Jackson picked up Shaun off the ground. He begged them to stop hurting him and asked them to take him home.

But Shelbourne refused, saying it would then be obvious he had been attacked.

As they were holding him up, Jones was said to have knocked him to the ground again before continuing the attack.

The group then walked away, smoking his cigarettes and leaving him for dead.

Later on, passer-by Leslie Sampher came across Shaun’s prone body and shook him, asking if he was OK. He noticed Shaun did not have any shoes on and assumed he may have been drinking.

He could not have known then that Shaun’s trainers had been thrown into the road with the intention of making it look like a hit-and-run road accident.

He tried to rouse the 21-year-old a second time, but could not.

Meanwhile, the group returned to Shelbourne’s flat, where they began to concoct their cover story.

Jones bleached his trainers and his bloodied clothes were bagged up and dumped.

O’Rouke, Jackson, the 17-year-old girl and the 13-year-old returned to the field at about 4am, where they found Shaun dead.

The 17-year-old girl, who was later convicted of manslaughter, called 999.

She told police they had found the body and were interviewed as witnesses.

But after leaving the police station, Jones went into the City Square area of Lincoln, where he described what he had done to several people.

Over the next 48 hours, he told more people he had been involved in killing someone and even sent a text message saying “I could be getting done for murder”.

Meanwhile, after meeting the group and taking witness statements, police found that the 17-year-old girl’s phone number was in Shaun’s phone and put her at the scene.

And those who had been on the end of Jones’s casual admissions came forward to give statements.

Seven people were arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday, June 5, and taken to separate police stations to be interviewed.

Some lied about what had happened and at first they explained their presence at the Ermine shops, as seen on CCTV, as a trip to get cash for a pizza. This was because they knew they would be on CCTV, as they knew the area well.

Forensic investigators then found that trainers seized from members of the group matched footprints that had caused marks on Shaun’s forehead.

While on remand in a young offenders’ centre, Jones told his mum in a phone call: “I’m going to plea bargain it to manslaughter and say I was drunk, we all ended up fighting, we all hit him.”

It was later determined that Shaun had died from a lack of oxygen, having been so badly beaten he was unable to raise his head up to breathe.

This is Lincolnshire

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

EDL supporters fined for on-train racist abuse

By
July 18, 2013
EDL, English Defence League, Fined, Racial Conviction, racially aggravated public order offence, Racist Abuse

Three English Defence League supporters have been ordered to pay more than £350 each after being found guilty of subjecting rail passengers to serious racist abuse.

Tracey Hurley (33), Stuart Parr (28) and a 17-year old youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Wigan Magistrates’ Court on 20 January for trial.

The court heard that, on Friday 25 June last year, the trio had attended an EDL march in Bradford and had been on their way home when they travelled from Manchester Victoria to Wigan on a Northern Rail service. During the journey they became abusive and intimidating, subjecting several passengers to a torrent of racist abuse.

The abuse began when the three sang songs relating to the EDL and Taliban. At Salford Crescent an Asian man boarded the train and was immediately targeted by the group who shouted derogatory remarks about Allah to the man.

PC Tony McGibbon, of British Transport Police, said: “The abuse continued for some time and was directed at anyone on board the train who the three perceived to be anything other than white British. The behaviour of the three was offensive in the extreme, completely unacceptable and made everyone on the train feel incredibly uncomfortable.”

A passenger advised a member of rail staff who reported the behaviour of the three to BTP officers. After witnesses were spoken to the three where arrested and interviewed. During interviews they admitted having been at the EDL march and drinking heavily, but denied making any racist remarks or behaving in a racist manner.

PC McGibbon added: “Despite their initial denials, there is no doubt that these three behaved in a deeply offensive manner and subjected rail passengers to unacceptable and unwarranted abuse. BTP, the rail industry, and the wider criminal justice system, takes a dim view of anyone who behaves in such a way and the sentence handed out should serve as an example and warning to others.”

Hurley, of Kingsley Avenue, Goose Green, was fined £150, ordered to pay £200 costs and a £15 victim surcharge after being found guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence. Parr, of Golborne Place, Scholes, was fined £150, ordered to pay £200 costs and a £15 victim surcharge after being found guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence.

The youth, from Ashton-in-Makerfield, was fined £150, ordered to pay £200 costs and a £15 victim surcharge after being found guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence.

Lancaster Unity

Man photographed with stick moments before attack on Kingston Mosque is spared jail

By
July 18, 2013
criminal damage, Fined, Jailed, Public order offence, Racial Conviction, religiously-aggravated offence, Suspended sentence
Henry Hunter

Henry Hunter

A teenager found guilty of violent disorder following an attack on Kingston Mosque has been spared jail.

Henry Hunter, 19, was convicted last month after a gang of young men laid siege to a mosque in East Road, having previously attended a protest march against Muslim extremism, in November 2010.

But he was acquitted of racially aggravated criminal damage.

At Kingston Crown Court this morning, Hunter, from Ashford in Middlesex, was sentenced to six months at a young offenders’ institute, suspended for 12 months.

He was fined £1,000, given 250 hours of unpaid work, and handed a four month curfew order banning him from leaving his home on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights.

Hunter was also given an exclusion order banning him from Kingston town centre for a year.

Before the sentence was passed, Hunter’s solicitor Michael Green told Recorder Roderick Fletcher that Hunter was a young man of previous good character who had not been in trouble before or after the mosque attack.

Mr Green said Hunter’s attitude had changed considerably in the two years since the attack, and he was now also holding down a job as a fork lift truck driver.

He contrasted Hunter’s police record with those of Martin Pottle and Alfie Wallace, who, along with David Morris, were all jailed for the attack in April.

Mr Green said Pottle had four previous public order offences and had been sentenced to six months in prison for affray in 2010.

Wallace had convictions for violence, robbery, criminal damage, assaulting a police officer and racially aggravated offences.

Mr Green also pointed to the fact Hunter handed himself into the police voluntarily, after his picture appeared on the front page of the Surrey Comet in the wake of the convictions of Pottle, Wallace and Morris.

Mr Green said: “This is a young man who handed himself into a police station after his picture was published in the Surrey Comet on the same day.

“His attitudes have changed considerably, his personal circumstances have changed considerably.

“He hopes to be given the opportunity to carry on working. Things have changed in terms of his employment, and in terms of his attitude.

“There are no new offences. The author of the pre-sentence report has spoken to the police and there is no suggestion he has been involved in any previous activity.”

Sentencing Hunter, Recorder Fletcher said: “You surrendered voluntarily to the police, you are currently in employment and you have a stable home environment.

“You’ve made important changes to your lifestyle and attitude in the past two years.”

“I’ve felt able to take a different course in your case to the course taken regarding Mr Pottle and Mr Wallace.

“Mr Pottle was substantially older than you, and Mr Wallace was marginally older than you.

“Both were convicted of two offences – violent disorder and religiously aggravated damage to property and both had relevant previous convictions.

“In these circumstances I’ve taken what could be considered as an unusual course in relation to your sentence.”

Surrey Comet