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Tag Archives: mosque conviction

Nottingham pig’s head mosque race abuse men sentenced

By
July 18, 2013
EDL, English Defence League, Fined, Racial Conviction, Suspended sentence

Three men have been fined for placing a pig’s head near the site of a proposed mosque in Nottinghamshire.

Wayne Havercroft, 41, of Bestwood Village, was fined £585 by Nottingham magistrates for racially aggravated public order offences.

Nicholas Long, 22, of Arnold, and Robert Parnham, 20, of Clifton were fined £300 over the incident in West Bridgford in June.

The court heard “No mosque here, EDL Notts” was sprayed on the ground.

In July, Christopher Payne, 25 of Hucknall was given a six-week suspended sentence and fined £335 and given 100 hours of community service for the same offence.

Crown Prosecution Service spokesman Brian Gunn said: “This kind of targeted abuse based on the grounds of religion or race has no place in our community.”

Mr Gunn added: “The actions of this group were highly offensive and would obviously have caused significant distress to the community in West Bridgford had it not been discovered at an early stage.”

The court was told the men had been drunk at the time and had since said they were ashamed of their behaviour.

BBC News

Three men sentenced over arson attack on Sussex mosque

By
July 18, 2013
Arson, EDL, hate crime, Public order offence, Racial Conviction
James Everley, James Smith and Joshua Morris were sentenced to three years for the arson attack

James Everley, James Smith and Joshua Morris were sentenced to three years for the arson attack

Three men have been sentenced for an arson attack on a newly-renovated mosque in West Sussex.

James Everley, 20, of Crawley, James Smith, 20, of Burgess Hill, and Joshua Morris, 20, of Haywards Heath, were all sentenced to three years at a young offenders institute.

The fire at the mosque in Wivelsfield Road, Haywards Heath, was started at about 02:10 GMT on 13 February.

Police believe the attack was a religiously-aggravated hate crime.

The men had pleaded guilty at Hove Crown Court to arson, theft of paraffin and a public order offence, which involved racially or religiously aggravated fear of violence.

Ch Insp Jon Hull, district commander for Mid Sussex, said: “The mosque was occupied at the time this fire was started and it could have had devastating consequences if it hadn’t been put out quickly.

“Thankfully only damage was caused to the building.

“Everyone who lives, works or visits Sussex has a right to go about their lives without becoming the victim of a hate crime because of their disability, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or gender identity.”

The mosque had been renovated and had reopened three months before the attack

BBC News

Man threatened to set fire to Wrexham mosque

By
July 18, 2013
EDL, Suspended sentence

A MAN was abusive and threatening to two British Muslims outside Wrexham’s new mosque and threatened to burn it down.

David Jared Evans, 36, sent texts to people suggesting a visit to the mosque in the former Miner’s Institute and a demonstration and said flare throwers made “good legal weapons”.

Evans received a suspended sentence after he admitted using threatening, abusive and insulting language and behaviour towards Abdulla Anwar which was racially and religiously aggravated. He had a similar previous conviction in 2006 after he abused a black woman.

Judge Niclas Parry, sitting at Mold Crown Court, said North Wales was becoming a cosmopolitan area and the courts would do everything they could to ensure people lived in harmony.

The judge said Mr Anwar and a colleague had approached Evans outside the mosque and offered him help.

“For that, they were subjected to a torrent of disgraceful abuse,” the judge said.

The comments were religiously and racially aggravated, persistent and escalated to threats of violence.

“Wrexham is a cosmopolitan town,” he said. “North Wales is becoming a cosmopolitan area.

“The courts will do everything they can to ensure people live in harmony in a cosmopolitan society.

The comments Evans had made generated hatred which had to be stamped out.

“You come into this case as a racist individual,” said the judge, but he was prepared to accept Evans had changed following his experiences in custody.

“Your future behaviour will show if I am right,” Judge Parry told him.

A prison sentence was inevitable but the judge took into account Evans had already served the equivalent of a six month sentence on remand.

He had pleaded guilty and rather than sending him back into custody for what could only be a matter of weeks he believed it would be better to tackle his “intransigent attitudes”.

Evans, of High Street, Rhos, received a 36 week prison sentence, suspended for a year.

He must carry out 200 hours unpaid work and attend an offending behaviour programme run by the probation service specifically to address his racially motivated behaviour.

“I think that will benefit you,” the judge told him.

Evans was also made subject of a two month 7pm-7am curfew at weekends and Judge Parry told him to pay £500 towards prosecution costs and £150 compensation to Mr Anwar.

A restraining order was made which bans him from going to the mosque or approaching Mr Anwar.

Elizabeth Bell, prosecuting, said on September 10 Evans was taking photographs of the former Miner’s Institute in Grosvenor Road, which had been bought by Wrexham Muslim Association and turned into a mosque.

He saw the two men outside and said to them: “This is a disgrace, you using this place. You’re probably just making your bombs here.”

Evans then used a racist term and asked them why they did not go home. Both men had been born in the United Kingdom.

Mr Anwar, who was left feeling frustrated and distressed, took a photograph of Evans and the defendant did likewise.

When Mr Anwar refused to give Evans his name, he said: “I will be back with my friends. We will give you a good seeing to,” and before leaving threatened to set the place on fire.

Arrested the following day, pictures of the mosque were found on his mobile phone along with a racist song.

A text message was found which he had sent to another man asking him if he was “up for a visit to the mosque tonight?” Another asked a third man if he wanted to join in a demo against the mosque.

One text made reference to a flame thrower making a great legal weapon.

Interviewed, he denied the offence and made no comment when questioned about the text messages.

Evans pleaded guilty after asking the court for a sentencing indication.

Andrew Green, defending, said Evans now realised it was a deeply unpleasant incident.

He had been disciplined in work but as far as he was aware his job was still available to him.

The Leader

Pair spared jail for mosque abuse

By
July 18, 2013
EDL, English Defence League, Racial Conviction, racially aggravated public order offence
Steven Dryden,left, and Brian Mackey leaving South Tyneside Magistrates Court.

Steven Dryden,left, and Brian Mackey leaving South Tyneside Magistrates Court.

TWO men who hurled a tirade of racial abuse at Muslims leaving a mosque in South Tyneside have been spared jail.

Brian Mackey and Steven Dryden went to a South Shields mosque after a night out in the town to air their racist views to worshippers who were leaving the building after late-night prayers.

Magistrates heard the duo filmed themselves on a mobile phone pledging their allegiance to far right group the English Defence League (EDL) during an onslaught of abuse outside the Baithul Mamur Jame Masjid Mosque, in Baring Street, South Shields.

The attack happened on September 5 last year after they had been discussing terrorism and religious extremism in Vogue nightclub, in nearby Ocean Road. Yesterday, the pair were back at South Tyneside Magistrates Court to be sentenced.

Bench chairwoman Dorothy Gibson gave each an 18-month community order and also made them subject to a curfew between 7pm and 7am for four months.

She told them: You cannot be proud of yourselves. It is only your previous good character that has saved you from jail.

Mackey, 26, of Emlyn Road, South Shields, and Dryden, 24, of Fife Avenue, Jarrow, both pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence when they appeared in court on January 28.

At that hearing, magistrates heard how the men did not believe they were being racist and were within their rights to air their political views.

Yesterday, their solicitor Jenny Coxon said: Mr Dryden acknowledges that his views can be seen as racist and understands how his actions are in line with the charge he has pleaded guilty to.

He said hes not going to join in with any EDL rallies again, because its those beliefs that got him where he is today.

Mr Mackey has the stronger views of the two, but they are something that both of them will work on with the probation service.

Jarrow and Hebburn Gazette

Three in court over alleged racist graffiti

By
July 18, 2013
EDL, English Defence League, Racial Conviction

THREE people are to appear in court next month accused of spraying racially offensive remarks on three buildings, including a mosque.

It relates to alleged spray painting incidents at the Nasir Mosque, in Brougham Place, Hartlepool, and at the Albert Guest House, in Front Street, and the Milco store, in Front Street, both Shotton Colliery, County Durham, which all took place on Tuesday November 16 last year.

Anthony Donald Smith, 24, of Hampshire Place, Peterlee, and 31-year-old Steven James Vasey, of Prior’s Grange, High Pittington, both County Durham, plus 19-year-old Charlotte Davies, of Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire, have been charged with racially aggravated criminal damage.

All three have been bailed by police to appear before North Durham magistrates, at Peterlee, on Wednesday May 11.

Durham Police said that at the time of the alleged incidents all three claimed to be members of the English Defence League.

The Northern Echo

Stoke-on-Trent mosque arsonists jailed

By
July 18, 2013
Arson, EDL, English Defence League, Jailed
Simon Beech and Garreth Foster denied setting fire to the mosque

Simon Beech and Garreth Foster denied setting fire to the mosque

Two men have each been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of deliberately setting fire to a Stoke-on-Trent mosque.

Ex-soldier Simon Beech, 23, and Garreth Foster, 29, both from Stoke, were found guilty of setting fire to Hanley’s Regent Road mosque on 3 December.

The pair had denied committing arson with intent to endanger life.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard it was in revenge for Muslim extremists burning poppies on Armistice Day.

Beech told the court during the four-day trial that he had been a member of the English Defence League and the British National Party. But he said he was not racist and did not believe his views to be extreme.

‘Nuke all mosques’

Paul Spratt, prosecuting, told the jury of five men and seven women that police had been able to establish that Beech “felt very strongly about Muslims” after accessing his Facebook account.

“He found persons through Facebook who had like-minded views. One observation he plainly agreed with was ‘Nuke All Mosques’.”

The mosque, which was partially built at the time of the fire, had not been fitted out

The jury heard that one of Beech’s online comments read: “The time has come. They burn our poppies, we burn their place. Burn the lot of them out.”

Beech told jurors his views were not aimed at the whole Muslim community but at extremist individuals.

When giving evidence in his defence Foster told the court: “I have always personally got on well with Muslims.

“Throughout all my schools I have always had Asian friends.”

The pair both denied running a pipe into the building from a nearby gas meter in a bid to spark an explosion at the mosque, which suffered about £50,000 damage as a result of the fire.

Community ‘dignified’

Speaking after the verdicts were delivered, Rana Tufail, a member of the mosque committee, said it was “difficult” to describe the arson attack.

He said: “It is a community project.

“They have put their soul into it. They have put their earnings into it and they [Beech and Foster] tried to destroy it.

“We are happy that it’s still standing.”

Ch Supt Bernie O’Rielly, from Staffordshire Police, added that he had no doubts that the pair’s intention was to “blow the mosque up”.

“Without doubt that would have caused hate in the community, division in the community and broken down all the cohesion and good work we do,” he said.

“The community around this area have been an absolute credit. They’ve acted with such restraint and so dignified in the face of such provocation.”

BBC News

Redbridge mosque attackers jailed by judge

By
July 18, 2013
Jailed, violent disorder

Four thugs who smashed up a Redbridge mosque before hurling a brick at the imam have been jailed for a total of 12-and-a-half years today.

The gang shattered the windows of Redbridge Islamic Centre, Eastern Avenue, before trying to storm their way inside while taunting worshippers with sickening chants.

Rocky Beale, 19, of Purleigh Avenue, Woodford Green and Eliot Jones, 19, of Keswick Gardens, Redbridge, pelted the centre with bricks, along with 18-year-old Matthew Stephenson, of Burrow Road, Hainault.

Harry Deluca, 16, whose name can now be revealed after an order was lifted by the judge, also pelted the centre and repeatedly screamed “EDL” throughout the assault on March 24.

All four denied violent disorder but were convicted by a jury last month after just 90 minutes of deliberation.

 Judge Timothy King sentenced Beale, Jones and Stephenson to three-and-a-half years each in a young offenders’ institution during yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

Deluca, of Manford Way, Hainault was given a two-year detention and training order.

The judge told them: “It is difficult, it seems to me, to imagine a case of violent disorder more serious than this one.”

Cllr Shoaib Patel, cabinet member for community safety on Redbridge Council, told the Recorder: “I am delighted with the result and it is great news for all the people that suffered because of the attack.

“It shows that Redbridge will not tolerate racial abuse after the community has worked hard to promote strong cohesion.”

London 24

Quran ‘desecrated’ in Chorley mosque attack

By
July 18, 2013
Racial Conviction, racially-aggravated criminal damage, Racist Abuse, racist graffiti

A Quran was ’desecrated’ and racist graffiti daubed at a mosque, it has emerged.

Two teenagers have been charged with racially aggravated criminal damage connected with the incident in Chorley.

Police said intruders entered the Dawat Ul Islam Masjid, also known as Chorley Mosque, in Brooke Street, before causing interior damage and damaging various items, including a Quran.

Officers added that racially-abusive graffiti was found on walls at the building during the incident.

Police said that their investigations had not linked the attack to any organised anti-Islamic group.

Coun Hasina Khan, who lives nearby and represents Chorley east on the borough council, said many Muslims in the town were shocked by the incident.

She said: “Every religion and all places of worship should be given the greatest of respect by all members of the community.”

She added: “Chorley is a place of cohesion between the communities and incidents like this are very rare.”

Sergeant Kevin Mountain, from the Chorley neighbourhood police team, said: “We treat incidents of this nature with the utmost gravity.

“I would urge anyone who feels they have been subjected to a crime because of their race or religious beliefs to contact us immediately and we will investigate fully.”

 The £500,000 mosque, which opened five years ago, has a capacity for more than 500 worshippers and was the first purpose-built mosque in Chorley.

Its facilities include a wash room and two large prayer rooms on each floor.

The incident happened on April 16 but police have only just released details after charging two people.

Daniel Barrow, 18, of Berkeley Close, Chorley, has been bailed to appear before Blackburn magistrates on July 15 charged with racially-aggravated criminal damage.

A 17-year-old youth has been bailed to appear before a juvenile court in Chorley on July 5 charged with two counts of racially aggravated criminal damage.

The Citizen

Carer wrote ‘EDL’ on mosque – Andrew Baldwin guilty of damage to Muslim World League building on Charlotte Street

By
July 18, 2013
English Defence League, Racial Conviction, Racist Abuse

A CARER who wrote “EDL” and drew a religious cross on the wall of a mosque has been found guilty of aggravated criminal damage.

Andrew Baldwin, from Fitzrovia, admitted daubing the three letters – representing the far right English Defence League group – and the cross on the wall of the Muslim World League (MWL) building in Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, on December 10 and again on March 5.

The 38-year-old, who is a full-time carer for his father, also admitted destroying a CCTV sign attached to the building on March 26.

However, he denied a further charge that his actions were motivated by racial or religious hatred. Giving evidence at Highbury Magistrates’ Court last Thursday, Baldwin said he was not an EDL member, but replied “yes” when asked by prosecutor Jonathan Efemini whether he supported the group. He said his graffiti had been aimed at “wrong’uns” rather than Muslims in general, adding: “Anyone going into that building to do their business and pray to their god, it’s not aimed at them. It’s aimed at the other types.”

Baldwin said he had wanted the message to be seen by “people who abuse our soldiers, burn ­poppies and commit terrorism on our train system”.

In a police interview played to the court, Baldwin said he had ripped down the CCTV sign because he had been “having a bad day, I suppose”.

Defending, Dan O’Callaghan said Mr Baldwin had “never denied the basic fact of what happened” and had been “consistent in his representations that this was not religiously aggravated”.

He added: “It was unwise and unpleasant to do it [graffiti] on the building he did it on, but what we say is the motive required under section 38 of the Crime and ­Disorder Act simply did not exist in this case.”

Judge Anthony Martin said Mr Baldwin’s evidence had been “inconsistent”, adding: “In our view that graffiti would offend a class of people rather than ­particular individuals.”

He also said there was no ­evidence to suggest anyone who used the MWL building was involved in terrorism or the other acts cited by Baldwin.

In a statement read to the court at the start of the trial, Dr Ahmed Makhdoom, director of the MWL building, described the graffiti as “very disturbing”.

He added: “I do not want this man [Mr Baldwin] to go to prison. I want him to understand what we do.”

Sentencing will take place on May 12.

Camden New Journal