Andrew Howard now finds himself in jail

A man found with hoards of Nazi paraphernalia has been jailed for eight weeks after writing racist abuse at a prospective neighbour who wanted to move in across the road.

52-year-old Andrew Howard had watched the family from his doorstep as they viewed the empty house. The next day, he spray painted ‘We don’t want Muslims here’ across the front of the property, alongside signs stating: “No Muslims here, f*** off”, and “you’re not wanted here, you Musrat scum, f*** off back to your own country,” Manchester Magistrates Court heard.

The family were going to move into the house but, after Howard’s racist graffiti, decided against it.

A police search of Howard’s house revealed a vast array of racist items such as Nazi flags – that were hung inside – a hanging picture of Adolf Hitler, swastikas and copies of ‘Mein Kampf’

Officer’s also discovered a room containing ‘sophisticated radio equipment’ and numbers – the door to the room had a sign reading: “Do good for the community – shoot a P***”.

In a victim personal statement, the father of the family who viewed the house said: “We no longer want to move into the address.

“I don’t feel safe there with my family. I don’t feel like my children can play in the street, as I feel someone will harm them.

“I don’t feel like my wife can go outside as someone will harm her.

“This is the first time something like this has happened to me – why does someone have to hurt someone because of religion?

“I’m also worried because my wife wears Muslim dress and it’s made me fear for her safety in that area.”

Howard, of Newton Heath, pleaded guilty to one offence of racially aggravated harassment.

Outlining the facts of the case, prosecutor David Morgan said on April 18 last year, the victim and his family went to view the house, and being happy with it, they wished to take the tenancy.

“That day they noticed a male watching them on his doorstep across the road as they looked around the area,” Mr Morgan said.

“The next day they went to the house to find ‘we don’t want Muslims here’ spray painted on the front door.

“On the water pipe it said ‘No Muslims here, f**k off’.

“Then along the front of the property it said: ‘you’re not wanted here, you Musrat scum, f**k off back to your own country.’

“The family immediately left the house and pulled out of the tenancy.

“As a result of this graffiti, police undertook a house search of the defendant and they found a substantial amount of racist paraphernalia.

“This included three Nazi flags which were hung from the property, swastikas and books.

“There was also a room containing a large amount of sophisticated radio equipment and phone numbers, and on the front of the door a sign read: “Do good for the community, shoot a P***’.

“There was also a painting of Adolf Hilter which was on the wall and copies of ‘Mein Kampf’.

Howard was said to have no previous convictions.

In an earlier hearing, it was suggested that he had served time in the army and as a result suffered from PTSD.

However, following the preparation of a pre-sentence report and various investigations, this was proved not to be the case.

In mitigation, Howard’s defence lawyer Daniel Weed said: “In the pre-sentence report there is reference to the defendant serving in the army – that is not correct.
Manchester Evening News