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Rugeley EDL supporter gets blanket booze ban

By
February 5, 2015
EDL, English Defence League, Suspended sentence

An English Defence League supporter from Rugeley has been banned from all licensed premises after a judge saw a recording of violence after the group he was in was turned away from a pub.

Ross Gilbert was the seventh man to be dealt with at Warwick Crown Court following a clash between EDL supporters and customers at the George Eliot pub in Bridge Street, Nuneaton.

He and the other six had all pleaded guilty to a charge of violent disorder following the incident which took place almost four years ago in February 2011.

Gilbert, aged 28, of William Morris Court, Rugeley, was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Andrew Lockhart QC also imposed an exclusion order banning him from all public houses and restaurants where alcohol is served for three months.

He told Gilbert, who was given a football banning order last month because of drunken behaviour at the Hawthorns in December, he had escaped custody ‘by a hair’s breadth.’

Prosecutor Lisa Hancox said a group of EDL supporters, including Gilbert, had been to Luton for a demonstration and had to change trains in Nuneaton on their way back to Staffordshire. Several of them took the opportunity to head into the town centre for a drink, and after going to a kebab shop they headed to the George Eliot.

On the way one of the group was captured by a CCTV camera stopping to put on a cross of St George face mask before they congregated outside the pub where they were refused entry. There was a stand-off during which a drinker came out of the pub and confronted the masked EDL supporter, at which point Gilbert threw a punch at him.

And Judge Lockhart, watching a CCTV recording observed: “He was the first to use physical violence.”

Gilbert, representing himself, said: “I feel ashamed. It was four years ago. I was younger, stupid. I’ve moved on in my life.”

Express & Star

Two final men jailed for EDL violence in Birmingham city centre protest

By
February 2, 2015
EDL, English Defence League, Jailed

Two final men have been jailed for violent disorder after they took part in an English Defence League protest in Birmingham.

Michael Wilson, aged 20, was sentenced to a 12 month jail term, while 42-year-old Dean Kenny, was sentenced to 18 months in his absence after failing to attend court. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

The two sentences bring the total jail term imposed for those who took part in the disorder in 2013 to more than 78 years for the violent disorder, after 50 other men appeared before Birmingham Crown Court in December and earlier this month.

Around 2,000 protesters gathered in Birmingham city centre on July 20, 2013, where ugly scenes were witnessed by police and visitors to the city.

Operations were conducted across the Midlands and further afield to arrest those believed to be involved, with appeals to trace suspects on social media and BBC’s Crimewatch early last year.

The sentencing began on December, 11, 2014 with January 30 seeing the final two sentences being passed bringing the total of defendants to 52.

Superintendent Richard Baker, from Birmingham police, said: “Violence has no place on the streets of Birmingham, regardless of motivation or whatever cause people are supporting.

Express & Star

Rapist in hi-vis jacket jailed for 11 years for attack on partially-blind girl, 14, after he failed to find sex on WhatsApp and Skype

By
January 28, 2015
Uncategorized
  • Michael McQueenie, 28, raped the vulnerable girl near local primary school
    He had been drinking for three hours and messaging women online for sex
    He lured girl, 14, who has learning difficulties, into bushes but was spotted
    Just 15 minutes after the rape he continued to message women online
    He initially denied raping the girl but was caught out in an identity parade
    A court heard that McQueenie has a ‘poor attitude towards women’
    He has 37 prior offences on his record including assaulting his partner
    McQueenie has now been jailed for 11 years and seven months for the rape
Michael McQueenie (pictured) has been jailed for more than 11 years for raping the 14-year-old girl, who has learning difficulties and is partially blind

Michael McQueenie (pictured) has been jailed for more than 11 years for raping the 14-year-old girl, who has learning difficulties and is partially blind

A rapist wearing a hi-vis jacket who attacked a 14-year old partially blind girl after he failed to find sex on Skype and WhatsApp has been jailed for more than 11 years.

Michael McQueenie, 28, from Blackburn, Lancashire, had been drinking for three hours after leaving work at a waste recycling plant and was ‘sexually frustrated’ after repeatedly trying and failing to arrange to have sex with women over the internet.

Eventually McQueenie, who was still dressed in his work high visibility jacket, targeted the teenager after he spotted her sitting on a wall near a primary school.

He lured her into bushes before ordering her to strip and raping her.

The victim was found when her father, who had gone out looking for her, spotted her and McQueenie emerging from the bushes.

McQueenie fled but was later arrested as the immediate run-up to the attack had been caught on CCTV.

A court heard he resumed his online trawl for sex just 15 minutes after the rape.

The court heard the girl has a ‘multitude of learning difficulties,’ and had no concept of stranger danger and had been ‘inherently trusting of people.’

Her teacher said: ‘Anybody could ask her to do anything and she would do it.’

The court heard McQueenie’s actions ‘destroyed’ the girl’s loving, devoted and protective family and had left a ‘permanent and deep scar in their lives’.

In a statement read out in court, her father said: ‘The attack has altered our lives forever and we are completely and utterly devastated.

‘I feel this has destroyed me and my family.’

McQueenie admitted rape and sexual assault at Burnley Crown Court and was locked up for 11 years and seven months.

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and was issued with a Sexual Offences Prevention order, banning him from having unsupervised contact with any female under the age of 16 and from living in the same household as any female under 16.

Joseph Allman, prosecuting, told the court the incident occurred on June 5 last year, after the girl had a chance encounter with McQueenie.

An eyewitness had been looking out onto the park when he saw the teenager being lured into some bushes by a stranger and went out to intervene.

The man came across the girl’s father, who was already looking for her.

They both went into the nearby park and saw the teenager and McQueenie, but he fled when the girl’s father chased after him.

Initially the girl said the stranger had just touched her.

She later told police she had met a ‘naughty man’ who told her to kiss him and take her clothes off before she was made to perform a sex act on him.

Police later established several people had seen the victim sitting on a low wall with a stranger at 8.24pm, shortly before she was seen on the playing field.

The stranger on the wall was described as similar to the man the girl’s father had chased and eyewitnesses said he had been wearing a hi vis jacket and had been drinking beer.

CCTV captured McQueenie going in to a local shop to buy beer in his hi viz jacket.

McQueenie was arrested on June 11 but claimed that after leaving work he had gone home, had a lot to drink and had not gone out again.

Mr Allman said: ‘Significantly, he adamantly denied he was wearing a yellow hi-vis jacket that day and maintained he had never been issued with that kind of jacket.’

He was re-interviewed when officers received statements from several people who had seen McQueenie sat on the wall.

He maintained he wasn’t the attacker but was later picked out by a witness during an identification parade.

He maintained he wasn’t the attacker but was later picked out by a witness during an identification parade.

Police then spoke to his workmates, supervisor and project co-ordinator.

Mr Allman told the court: ‘They readily established he did have a yellow hi vis jacket and in fact was issued with it that day.

‘They also established his jacket had disappeared by the following morning by the time he arrived at work. It has never been found.’

‘The defendant insisted it wasn’t him and ultimately tried to point the finger in the direction of what he described as “Asian gangs” hanging around in the area.’

McQueenie’s mobile phone and the laptop he shared with his mother were seized.

When officers analysed the phone and computer, they found he had made extensive use of two messaging functions, Skype and WhatsApp.

Mr Allman said: ‘In the early hours of the morning of the day the victim was raped, he sent really vast amounts of sexually themed messages to a wide range of women who were apparently strangers, or at most online acquaintances.

‘He had at least 10 specific sexual conversations, trying to meet for sex or have a webcam session and all of these exchanges ended in frustration.

‘About 15 minutes after the girl was raped, he resumed contact and carried on contacting numerous women to make small talk, but also to talk about sex.’

McQueenie has 37 previous offences on his record dating back to 2004.

At the time of the rape he was subject to a domestic violence suspended prison sentence for assaulting his partner as she held a baby.

The court heard the probation service found him to have a ‘poor attitude towards women.’

In mitigation defence counsel Kenneth Hind said : ‘The only major mitigation is that he has pleaded guilty.

‘He is facing up to the reality of the offences themselves.

‘This was an opportunist offence. It was committed within, what must be fair to say, a small window of opportunity.

‘It’s a terrible offence in itself, but it’s a one-off situation.

‘There’s no history or anything that would indicate that it’s likely to occur again, significantly.

‘There’s certainly a lack of maturity on his part, certainly in dealing with women.

‘There’s no doubt that there will follow a very substantial prison sentence and of course he knows that that will be the outcome.’

Passing sentence Judge Jacqueline Beech told McQueenie: ‘You lack remorse and any insight into the consequences of your offending on others.

‘It would have been immediately obvious to you that she was very vulnerable and that’s no doubt why you led her into the park and did what you did to her.

‘It’s clear at the time you were sexually frustrated as you had been seeking instant gratification over social media. ‘

‘Your offending has destroyed everything the victim’s family had been working for.

‘You should be absolutely ashamed of yourself. This is a long sentence and rightly so.’

Daily Mail

Blackburn man jailed for raping girl with learning difficulties

By
January 26, 2015
EDL, English Defence League, Jailed
Michael McQueenie admitted the crimes in November

Michael McQueenie admitted the crimes in November

A man has been jailed for the rape and sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl with learning difficulties.

Michael McQueenie, from Highbury Place in Blackburn, was sentenced at Burnley Crown Court to nearly 12 years after pleading guilty in November.

Lancashire Police said the 28-year-old assaulted the teenager on 5 June last year after he “lured the girl” into a wooded area.

Det Ch Insp Dean Holden described it as “a callous attack”.

“Her ordeal only came to an end when her dad came to find her and McQueenie ran off for fear of being caught,” he added.

He said the victim’s family were grateful to witnesses who helped identify him.

McQueenie was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and will be subject to a lifelong Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

BBC News

michael McQueenie 1

michael McQueenie 2

michael McQueenie

Shotton man jailed for 17 years for historical sex offences against four children

By
January 20, 2015
assault, EDL, English Defence League, Jailed

Merfyn Jones has been convicted of 13 counts of rape and been placed on the sex offenders’ register for life

Defendant Merfyn Jones, of Shotton, was jailed for 17 years for a series of historic sex offences against children

Defendant Merfyn Jones, of Shotton, was jailed for 17 years for a series of historic sex offences against children

The perverted past of a man — branded a sexual predator — caught up with him when he was jailed for 17 years for a campaign of sexual offences.

Merfyn Jones, 53, of Rowden Street in Shotton, was placed on the sex offender’s register for life.

Jones had denied 13 offences of attempted rape, attempted rape and indecent assault against four complainants, when they were children, dating back to the 1990s.

But he was unanimously convicted by a jury at Mold Crown Court in December.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said that Jones continued to deny the offences and had shown no remorse at all.

“You have no comprehension of the way in which you were meant to behave as a grown man towards young children, or the harm you have caused the victims,” the judge told him.

Jones, from Fllintshire, was a man of no convictions and had to be sentenced for his behaviour 20 years ago when he was in his 30s, he said.

Although there had been a significant delay, the other side of that was that he had managed to live a normal life for many years while the victims had to live with what he had done to them.

“You took advantage of four young girls and you did so repeatedly,” Judge Rowlands told him.

Two of the victims had been raped.

“Totally understandably, your behaviour had an appalling and profound effect,” the judge said.

“They continue to suffer to this day while you could not care less about the harm you have caused.

The only mitigation was that the offending ended in the 1990s and he had not been in any trouble since.

Judge Rowlands said that the victims were women now in their 20s and 30s but that Jones had taken away their childhoods — and thought he had got away with it.

“Now, I am afraid, you have to answer for your depraved behaviour as a younger man,” he said.

At the earlier hearing the judge said that on the verdicts of the jury, he fell to be sentenced as a sexual predator who had got away with for many years.

Jones was convicted of six charges of rape, one charge of attempted rape and six charges of indecent assault.

Prosecuting barrister John Philpotts said that victim impact statements showed the offences had not been reported at the time because the victims, as children, did not think they would be believed.

Some of them spoke of being unable to sleep, having nightmares, and still feeling the pain of what he had done.

One said that she felt angry and emotional and found it difficult to trust people.

Another told how her confidence and self-esteem had been affected and she suffered panic attacks.

Mr Philpotts described it as a sustained campaign of sexual offences with multiple victims which had caused severe psychological harm.

Paul Smith, defending, argued that the description of a campaign was not appropriate.

He said Jones appreciated that he was to receive a very significant sentence but he asked to judge to keep totality in mind.


The Daily Post

Bolton EDL supporter jailed after violence at rally in Birmingham

By
January 16, 2015
EDL, English Defence League, Jailed

Tom NelsonAN English Defence League supporter from Bolton is part of a large group jailed after violence flared at a protest in Birmingham.

Thomas Nelson, aged 21, of Seaforth Road, Astley Bridge, has been convicted of violent disorder and jailed for 22 months.

He was one of 50 men to have appeared before Birmingham Crown Court over the past five weeks after violent scenes in the city on July 20, 2013.

After EDL protestors listened to speeches and displayed their flags, factions of the crowd of about 2,000 supporters started to turn violent with missiles being thrown at police, who were trying to maintain order.

A number of police officers suffered minor injuries as they tried to restore order in what they said was a “violent minority”.

After the disorder in Centenary Square, police launched an inquiry to track down those involved.

West Midlands Police said they conducted operations across the midlands and further afield to catch them all, with appeals to trace suspects featuring on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme in January last year – leading to a flood of calls to the incident room.

People were arrested from as far afield as West Sussex and Tyne and Wear, having travelled to the West Midlands to take part in the demonstration.

The sentences ranged from a 12 month community order to 3 years 8 months imprisonment.

Supt Richard Baker, from Birmingham Police, said: “A team of detectives have worked tirelessly on this investigation for more than a year, determined to trace those involved in the disorder and bring them to justice.

“People who commit public order offences such as these should not rest easy as, no matter how long it takes, we will find you.”

Full list of people sentenced:

1. Ashley Rowland, aged 25, of Adwick Road, Nesborough – 31 months
2. Neil Jones, aged 45, of Meadow Farm Drive, Shrewsbury – 15 months
3. Melvyn Parker, 46, of Mewtondale Avenue, Mansfield – 24 months
4. Andrew Edge, aged 44, of Wellington Road, Stockport – 21 months
5. Mark Connor, aged 25, of Tantara Street, Walsall – 22 months
6. James Harrington, aged 30, of Kentmere Avenue, Leeds – 24 months
7. William Bartlett, aged 26, of Hotspur Avenue, Whitley Bay – 12 months
8. Joel Smith, aged 24, of Lupton Road, Sheffield – 30 months
9. James Cocks, aged 35, of Binton Close, Redditch – 24 months
10. Jake Hill, aged 32, of Church Street, Stourbridge – 22 months
11. Alan Fisher Crib, aged 20, of Wheeler Street, Newtown – 10 months
12. Shane Williams, aged 27, of Dragons Lane, Leicester – 24 months
13. Lloyd Lewis, aged 23, of Cooks Close, Atherstone – 14 months
14. Josh Norrey, aged 23, of Priors Way, Erdington – 25 months
15. Adam Beebee, aged 28, of Boundary Road, Erdington – 13 months
16. Anthony Webster, aged 38, of West Road, Newcastle – 21 months
17. Thomas Wilkie aged 23, of Kent Road, Wednesbury – 18 months
18. Rob Pay, aged 35, of Gypsy Lane, Erdington – 22 months
19. James Olley-Shields, aged 22, of Hanbury Hill, Stourbridge – 12 months
20. John Warrender, aged 28, of Oakdale Close, Oldbury – 15 months
21. Gareth Wall, aged 25, of Moresdale Lane, Leeds – 20 months
22. Thomas Milner, aged 21, of Herbert Street, Darlington – 16 months
23. Philip Collins, aged 28 – 16months + 2 + 17 months TOTAL 35 months
24. Benjamin Crowder, aged 22, of Lumsdale Crescent, Matlock – 24 months
25. Christopher Michael Layton, aged 28, of Tustin Grove, Acocks Green – 14 months + 6months TOTAL 20 months
26. Jason Harris, aged 40, of Lime Street, Eccles – 20 Months
27. Lee Joshua, aged 43, of St Marys Court, Brierley Hill – 16 months
28. Michael Dyer, aged 34, of Morse Road, Nailbridge – 12 months
29. Steven Cooke, aged 39, of London Road South, Lowestoft – 24 months
30. Simon Reeve, aged 43, of London Road, South, Lowestoft – 18 months
31. Adrian Rimmel, aged 51, of Swallow Avenue, Smithswood – 24 months
32. Thomas Flynn, aged 22, of Grange Drive, Swindon – 14 months
33. Otis Bloodworth, aged 36, of Market Place, Alford – 18 months
34. Scott Davidson, aged 24, of Camross Drive, Shrewsbury – 12 months
35. Gary Watts, aged 30, of Stevens Close, Canvey Island – 15 months
36. Andrew Warren/McGill, aged 48, of Freehold Street, Shoreham by Sea – 12 months
37. Stuart Snowball, aged 24, of Howarth Street, Sunderland – 13 months
38. Danny Purvis, aged 34, of Newcastle Hill, Kent – 27 months
39. Thomas Nelson, aged 21, of Seaforth Road, Bolton – 22 months
40. Matthew Dunn, aged 28, of Park Rod, Lowestoft – 12 months
41. Marc Collins, aged 34, of Bandywood Crescent, Kingstanding – 12 months
42. Lee Hunter, aged 32, of Nidd Drive, Castleford – 6 months
43. Sonny Marland, aged 20, of Meadow Road, Melksham – 8 months
44. Kenny Graham, aged 20, of Ottawa Road, Middlesborough – 26 months
45. Kane Moffatt, aged 22, of Hawthorne Crescent, Mexborough – 22 months
46. Adam Emms, aged 24, of Donnington Close, Redditch – 13 +13 TOTAL 26 months
47. Joshua Wall, aged 21, of The Ridgeway Erdington -16 + 29 +1 TOTAL 46 months
48. Karl Reed, aged 51, of Maple Grove, Bletchley – community order 12 months (not pictured)
49. Jamie Wilder, aged 22, Devonshire Road, Hastings – total of 6 and a half years (including other offences)
50. Mark Morgan, aged 25, of St Johns Avenue, Newcastle – 16 months

Sentencing of Michael Wilson, aged 20, of Arkley Crescent, Hartlepool, has been adjourned until January 30.

Dean Kenny is wanted in connection with the investigation.

Two men are yet to appear before court, charged with violent disorder at the counter demonstration on the day of the July 2013 protest.

Khurram Shabir, aged 22 of Finnemore Road, Bordesley Green, Birmingham, pleaded guilty at a hearing in December and awaits sentence.

Nadeem Zaffar, aged 26, of Somerville Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, awaits trial at Birmingham Crown Court on January 12.

Bolton News

Former Swanage soldier jailed for child abuse images

By
January 16, 2015
EDL, English Defence League, Jailed

A FORMER soldier who planned to “frame” his partner’s ex-boyfriend by downloading child pornography onto his computer has been jailed for six months.

John Broomfield, 28, from Bell Street, Swanage, admitted 20 counts of making indecent images of children.

Prosecuting at Bournemouth Crown Court, Kerry Maylin said Broomfield had been arrested and two computers seized on July 22 last year.

After the computers were forensically examined, 236 indecent images were found, depicting children and babies.

Ms Maylin said Broomfield had told police he had downloaded the images in a bid to get his partner’s ex-boyfriend “off her back”, adding: “He was going to download them to the other man’s computer, until his conscience got the better of him.”

In Broomfield’s defence, the court was told that he was “anti” child pornography and had been “disgusted” by the images he had made.

After eight years’ exemplary military service, Broomfield had been medically discharged after suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. He was planning to do voluntary work.

Sentencing Broomfield, Judge Samuel Wiggs told him: “I regard your potential use of these images as being particularly serious.”

Broomfield will be on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

Dorset Echo

This story is from June 2011.

You can read about his EDL activities here

Mikaeel Kular: Internet troll Shaun Moth jailed for Facebook abuse

By
December 22, 2014
Uncategorized

A man who admitted posting offensive comments on Facebook about an Edinburgh boy beaten to death by his mother has been jailed for 12 months.

Shaun Moth posted abuse about Mikaeel Kular on the social networking site the day before the three-year-old boy’s body was found in a wood in Kirkcaldy.

The 45-year-old posted the comments on an anti-racism page as a police search was underway for the boy in January.

Rosdeep Adekoya, 34, was jailed for 11 years in August for her son’s death.

Adekoya had originally been charged with murder, but admitted the reduced charge of culpable homicide.

Moth, from Whitehills in Aberdeenshire, pleaded guilty to conducting himself in a disorderly manner, posting grossly offensive comments on Facebook and breaching the peace, aggravated by religious prejudice when he appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on 4 December.

He was sentenced at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
‘Grotesque posts’

Sheriff William Summers said Moth had exploited the media attention around the search for Mikaeel in order to “peddle vile abuse”.

The sheriff said: “We live in a multi-racial and multi-ethnic society that remains tolerant of others.

“You are entitled to hold whatever views that you want and to hold them strongly.

“But what you said in these posts was at times grotesque.

“Anyone who disseminates this sort of material must recognise that they will be brought to justice.

“This matter is so serious it seems to be that a custodial sentence is the only option.”

Three year old Mikaeel, from Edinburgh, was reported missing by his mother on 16 January this year.

Defence agent Stuart Beveridge said his client had “strong views” and that he was abusing alcohol and drugs at the time he made the comments.

Mr Beveridge said: “He accepts that his comments were callous and in the extreme.

“He has been out of work for six years.

“He was drinking heavily and routinely using cocaine.

“He enjoys the process of argument and debate.

“He accepts that he has strong views and went too far on this occasion.”

BBC News

Shaun Moth

Leeds man jailed over his part in violent EDL rally

By
December 19, 2014
EDL, English Defence League, Jailed

A man from Leeds has been jailed over his part in a violent rally by the English Defence League.

Gareth Wall, 25, of Moresdale Lane, Seacroft, used a metal pole to smash the window of a restaurant as thugs caused damage in the Regency Wharf area of Birmingham.

He was jailed for 20 months after judge Richard Bond told him he had shown no remorse for his “persistent” offending, which included kicking out at a police dog while goading the animal using a St George’s Cross flag.

The sentencing of eight EDL supporters for violent disorder had earlier been temporarily halted after one of them demanded to be updated on the Sydney cafe siege.

Judge Bond briefly adjourned the case after being verbally abused, urged to “pass proper sentences” on Islamic extremists, and asked: “Any news on the Australian hostages?”

After returning to court, he sentenced the men, aged 22 to 35, to sentences of between 14 months and two years.

During the EDL rally, in July last year, a Muslim prayer cap and a Pakistani flag were set on fire and police were pelted with paving slabs and bottles.

Yorkshire Evening Post

EDL Birmingham riot thug Thomas Flynn, from Swindon, jailed – but gets shorter sentence after leaving EDL

By
December 16, 2014
EDL, English Defence League, Jailed

A Swindon man involved in a violent riot against police by the English Defence League has been jailed – but received a shorter sentence than the others because he has since quit the controversial far right group.

Thomas Flynn confronted police officers and forced them to push him away with riot shields during the disorder when EDL supporters from all over the country descended on Birmingham for a protest march through the city centre.

Sentencing of the eight men convicted of violent disorder was temporarily halted after one of them demanded to be updated on the Sydney café siege.

The judge, Richard Bond, adjourned the case after being verbally abused, urged to “pass proper sentences” on Islamic extremists, and asked: “Any news on the Australian hostages?”

Some of the defendants walked around the dock at Birmingham Crown Court during the outbursts, which also included chants of “No surrender to the Taliban.”

Judge Bond had already sentenced three of the men when one of them shouted “If there were proper sentences for extremists, the EDL wouldn’t be here” and another asked for news of events in Australia.

The judge then left the court-room for several minutes, before returning to continue to address the defendants and explain their sentences.

Jailing others for 18 months or two years, he gave Flynn, a 22-year-old from Grange Drive in Swindon, just 14 months after hearing that he now helped out at a respite centre and had since disassociated himself from the EDL.

Among the others in the dock over violent scenes at an EDL rally in Birmingham city centre was Otis Bloodworth, who attended the protest event in July 2013 wearing Union Jack boxing gloves and shorts.

CCTV footage played to the court showed Bloodworth, of Drummond Road, Skegness, Lincolnshire, punching a man who was being led away from the event by stewards.

The 35-year-old, who has 43 previous convictions dating back to 1997, was arrested and taken to a police station in March after an appeal for information on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme.

When questioned by officers as to whether he had any medical conditions, Bloodworth said he had ‘Islamophobia’ and refused to be represented by a Muslim solicitor.

Bloodworth was jailed for 18 months alongside Benjamin Crowder, who was celebrating his 21st birthday at the protest march.

Crowder, now 22, of Lumsdale Crescent, Matlock, Derbyshire, was given a two-year custodial sentence after footage was played to the court of him throwing an object at police.

Shane Williams, 27, of Birds Nest Avenue, Leicester, was jailed for two years. The court heard that he was seen chanting anti-Islamic slogans, hurled an empty soft drinks bottle at police, and was present at five of seven distinct sites of disorder at the protest.

Another defendant, Gareth Wall, 25, of Moresdale Lane, Leeds, used a metal pole to smash the window of a restaurant as thugs caused damage in the Regency Wharf area of Birmingham. He was jailed for 20 months after the judge told him he had shown no remorse for his “persistent” offending, which included kicking out at a police dog while goading the animal using a St George’s Cross flag.

During the EDL rally, a Muslim prayer cap and a Pakistani flag were set on fire in the street, while police were pelted with paving slabs and bottles. Around 200 EDL supporters were involved in the violence in the Broad Street and Centenary Square areas of Birmingham, which lasted for around two hours and left 30 officers injured.

Western Daily Press