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Man sentenced for racially-aggravated Tube attack in Clapham

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August 10, 2016
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An unemployed man has been sentenced to a year in jail for a racially aggravated attack at Clapham South station.

Callum Lambe, 21, of Loughborough Junction, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court for the attack on October 17, 2009, when he forced open the gates to the station shortly after 3am, seemingly wanting to buy a ticket.

The station cleaner believed he had been drinking and asked him to leave but he refused.

After witnessing what was happening on CCTV the nighttime supervisor made an announcement for Lambe to leave, but the thug grabbed the cleaner by the neck, pushing him backwards, and was heard making racist remarks towards him.

When removed by police Lambe continued to racially abuse the cleaner and spat in the supervisor’s face.

During a struggle he sustained a cut hand and headbutted the supervisor.

Lambe was sent to St Thomas’ Hospital because of the cut, but was refused treatment when he turned aggressive and chanted anti-black slogans.

He was taken to Kennington police station and charged with racially aggravated assault.

Aidan Harris, manager of London Underground’s workplace violence unit, said: “This was an appalling act of violence and racist abuse against our staff.

“We are extremely happy with the sentence Lambe received and will continually work closely with British Transport Police (BTP) to ensure if people attack our staff they will always face the sternest of penalties.”

BTP Detective Chief Inspector Kate Shaw described Lambe’s actions as “disgraceful”.

In court Lambe was found guilty of racially aggravated assault, spitting at the supervisor, and causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm and distress at St Thomas’ Hospital.

Local Guardian

Men jailed over bacon tied to Bristol mosque door handles

By
July 20, 2016
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Kevin Crehan (left) and Mark Bennett were part of a group that targeted the mosque in January

Kevin Crehan (left) and Mark Bennett were part of a group that targeted the mosque in January



Two men have been jailed and two women have been given suspended sentences after rashers of bacon were tied to door handles at a Bristol mosque.

During the incident on 17 January, the group shouted racial abuse at a member of the mosque and tied a St George’s flag to the fence of the Jamia Mosque.

Kevin Crehan, 34, of Knowle, was jailed for 12 months and Mark Bennett, 48, of Patchway, for nine months.

Both had admitted religiously aggravated public order offences.

At the Bristol Crown Court hearing, 46-year-old Alison Bennett – the wife of Mark Bennett – was given a six-month sentence, suspended for two years, while Angelina Swales, 31, from Brislington, was handed a four-month sentence, suspended for two years.

‘Worship without fear’

The two women also admitted religiously aggravated public order offences in relation to the targeting of the Totterdown mosque.

All four were given a restraining order preventing them from going within 100m of a mosque anywhere in England or Wales for the next 10 years.

Insp Nigel Colston of Avon and Somerset Police paid tribute to the way the community responded to what happened.

He said: “The way local people came together with overwhelming support for the mosque made me proud to be associated with Bristol.

“There can never be any excuse for hate crime in any shape or form and this criminality will not be tolerated.

“All of our communities have the right to live and worship peacefully without fear of being targeted for their race or religion.”
BBC News

Mosque attackers deny racism

By
July 20, 2016
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ONE OF the men who admits a racially aggravated attack on Totterdown’s mosque has claimed in court that he didn’t know that bacon was offensive to Muslims.

Mark Bennett, 48, claimed he was not a racist and did not take bacon to the mosque in Green Street on January 17, 2016, intending to cause offence.

Instead, he said, he was trying to raise awareness about the plight of British armed forces veterans and homeless people who he felt deserved more attention.

Bennett, of Spruce Way, Patchway, his wife Alison Bennett, 46, Kevin Crehan, 34, of Springleaze, Knowle, and Angelina Margaret Swales, 31, of West Town Avenue, Brislington, have all pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence at the Jamia mosque.

Bristol crown court was told on June 17 that during the incident racial abuse was shouted at a Muslim man attending the mosque. Raw bacon was thrown and left hanging from the mosque’s railings and an English flag, the cross of St George, was left on the steps with the legend “No mosques, no refugees”, the prosecution said.

But the two men involved denied being racists, said there was no bacon thrown, and they did not hear any racial abuse. They claimed their protest was peaceful. Crehan said it was an attempt to get Muslims to “integrate”. “I grew up in Totterdown and I have got many, many Muslim friends,” he said.

Bennett drew a parallel with charitable activities.

“In my own time I go to the city centre and take coffee and bacon sandwiches to people who live on the streets,” he said.

Judge Julian Lambert asked Bennett if he expected people at the mosque to eat his bacon sandwiches and be grateful for them.

“Possibly,” Bennett replied. The court had heard that Bennett and his wife had bought the bacon and some bread in a £1 shop in Broadmead the same morning. The barrister for the prosecution, Ian Fenney, asked Bennett: “Did you expect people to eat raw bacon?”

“No,” said Bennett. “Where was the bacon going to be cooked?” asked Mr Fenney.

“It possibly could have been cooked in the mosque. I wouldn’t know, would I?” said Bennett.

He added: “I didn’t know that it was offensive to take bacon to the mosque. If I had known I wouldn’t have taken it. Mr Fenney responded: “I suggest you knew exactly how much offence would be caused by taking raw bacon and that’s why you did it. Why was bacon found on the door handles of the mosque? Because any Muslim entering the mosque would have to touch it.”

Bennett told the court he didn’t know the meaning of the word “jihad”.

The court was also told that in 2008 Crehan racially abused an Asian police officer at Broadbury Road police station, after he was arrested at his home during a domestic disturbance. Crehan said he was high on alcohol and drugs at the time but had since given both up.

Bennett was presented with several Facebook pages, posted in April 2016, in the name Marc Bennet, which contained offensive statements about Muslims and references to a recent attack on a mosque.

Bennett said the pages were not his and suggested they had been created to frame him by left-wing activists. He agreed that he had previously had another Facebook page in the name Mark English.

The four will be sentenced at another hearing on July 22, when the two women will be cross-examined.

The attack on January 17 resulted in an outpouring of support for the Jamia mosque, the oldest in Bristol. Hundreds of people attended an open afternoon the following weekend, and hundreds more pledged their support for the mosque being at the heart of the Totterdown community.

South Bristol Voice

Racist thug draped himself in England flag scrawled with ‘f*** Islam’ – just 24 hours after Brexit vote

By
June 29, 2016
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Thomas Johnstone, 29, also reportedly chanted anti-Muslim slogans during a protest organised by the English Defence League

Thomas Johnstone waved an England flag scrawled with 'f*** Islam' across it just 24 hours after Britain voted to leave the EU

Thomas Johnstone waved an England flag scrawled with ‘f*** Islam’ across it just 24 hours after Britain voted to leave the EU

A racist thug waved an England flag scrawled with ‘f*** Islam’ across it – just 24 hours after Britain voted to leave the EU.

Thomas Johnstone also chanted anti-Muslim slogans during an English Defence League protest on Saturday.

The 29-year-old’s chants got louder as Asian drivers or pedestrians passed him while he took part in the demonstration, a court heard.

Around 30 members of the far-right group had gathered outside the Manarat Foundation mosque in Birmingham.

The court heard that on the flag was written ‘no more mosques,’ ‘English ’till I die’ and ‘f*** Islam’.”

Johnstone yesterday admitted two counts of causing religiously aggravated harassment alarm or stress under the Public Order Act at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court.

He also pleaded guilty to obstructing an officer after giving police his brother’s name when arrested.

Johnstone, of Luton, was handed a £400 fine but was told he would not have to pay because of the time he had spent in custody since Saturday.

He remained in custody after being recalled to prison on licence on other matters.

Helen Shipley, prosecuting, said demonstrators were herded by police to one side of the Coventry Road in Birmingham.

Johnstone had a St George’s flag draped around his neck.

Miss Shipley said: “He appeared to film police because he wanted their opinion on a new mosque.

“He removed the flag and was holding it up towards motorists.

“On the flag was written ‘no more mosques’ and ‘English ’till I die’ and ‘f*** Islam’.”

Miss Shipley said Johnstone was also chanting offensive anti-Muslim slogans and got more vocal when Asian drivers or pedestrians passed by.

After being arrested Johnstone gave police the name of his brother but was found out when fingerprint tests revealed his true identity.

Ben Galletti, defending, said Johnstone had been recalled on licence to prison on other matters and was not due for release until June 1 next year.

District Judge Robert Zara fined Johnstone £150 for each of the religiously aggravated offences and £100 for obstructing an officer.

He said: “The maximum penalty for public order offences is only a fine whatever view I may take of your conduct.

“Because you are now a serving prisoner I will deem the time spent in custody since your arrest should serve in default of payment.”

On a Facebook profile page Johnstone appears to be connected to the Coventry branch of the EDL.

A status update from May said: “Before ny1(sic) forms an opinion of what I believe in please google what the EDL fight for.”

Daily Mirror

Nazi woman’s vile racist display at Sunderland school

By
June 27, 2016
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Heidi

A woman has appeared in court after she put a flag containing racist propaganda outside a Sunderland school.

Heidi Sawicki, 25, draped a Union Jack, containing a swastika, along with the words “white power” and “Muslims out” on railings at Thornhill School last October.

Photos shown in court during Heidi Sawicki case

Photos shown in court during Heidi Sawicki case

She then posed for a photo next to the sign as she gave a Nazi salute and shared it on Facebook, Sunderland magistrates heard.

Prosecutor Lee Poppett said: “Mark Leadbeater is a head of house at Thornhill School. He was heading into school at 7.05am on Thursday, October 8.

“He would describe the school as a mixed-race school and has a 30% Muslim-Bangladeshi cohort.”

The court heard Mr Leadbeater removed the flag to examine it.

“He could clearly see the red, white and blue of the Union Jack,” Mr Poppett said.

“It had been placed about a metre away from the pupils’ entrance to the school.

“He picked up the flag and noticed that it had a swastika.

“He was highly offended by this and immediately took the flag into the school, concerned that neighbours and passers-by had seen it.

Mr Poppett said Mr Leadbeater was then shocked to find that, as well as the swastika, the flag featured the words “white power” and “Muslims out”, written in what appeared to be nail varnish.

Sawicki was identified from CCTV footage and arrested, along with a male who is being dealt with separately.

When she was interviewed by police and shown the flag, she refused to answer questions about who it belonged to, the court heard, but she added: “It looks like a canny flag,”

She was asked whether it was racist and said: “It depends who you ask.”

When officers asked if she knew the meaning of the swastika, she replied: “Sieg Heil. White power.”

She then said: “I know the school is riddled with them, the rodents. They have a rat problem. They are barbaric animals. They don’t deserve the name person.”

Mr Poppett said incriminating pictures were found on Sawicki’s phone. A photograph shown in court depicted her posing next to the flag outside the school, with her right hand in a Nazi salute.

Sawicki, of Buddle Terrace, Hendon, admitted causing racially or religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress, and sending a malicious communication.

Jason Smith, defending, said Sawicki suffers from mental health problems and has been sectioned in the past. He added: “She has a deep-seated hate and a deep seated-offence to that particular racial sector.”

Sawicki was sentenced to a 12-month community order with a rehabilitation activity requirement. She was also fined £20 and was told to pay £85 costs and £60 surcharge.

Sunderland Echo

Thugs boasted on Facebook about starting a ‘war’ in pizza shop after attacking and racially abusing staff

By
June 20, 2016
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Drunken thugs boasted on Facebook about starting a ‘war’ in a pizza shop after attacking and racially abusing workers, smashing a door and hurling pizza boxes around the shop.

Brothers Jamie York, 32, and John Alexander Brown, 19, both of Greenwood Avenue, Mansfield Woodhouse and Shaun Andrew Bowers , 35, of Crompton Road, Mansfield were caught on CTTV in Chicho’s on High Street, Mansfield Woodhouse.

All three had been to Bowers’ grandfather’s funeral on January 26, had been drinking and went for food at the shop before 8pm that day.

However, Mansfield Magistrates’ Court heard how an argument broke out over the size of a pizza and things ‘turned very badly’, according to defence solicitor for Brown and York, Chris Perry.

The court was shown extensive CCTV footage of the incident which showed punches being thrown, pizza boxes and dishes being hurled between both the defendants and the shop workers. Racial insults and threats were also heard.

At one point Brown is seen picking up a ‘wet-floor’ plastic sign and throwing it at the staff. The staff can also be seen swinging a wooden stick around to defend themselves.

One member had to be later taken to hospital with bruising and swelling.

Brown was seen later seen returning to the shop and kicking the door, damaging it.

Two of the three defendants were later found to have posted entries on Facebook with what prosecutor Robert Carr described as ‘rejoicing at what they called a war’, and laughing and bragging.

But in mitigation, the court was told how the defendants do not consider themselves to be racist and insults may have been shouted in the heat of the moment.

Mr Perry said: “They did not intend to cause trouble, there were events that led to this inexcusable behaviour.

“The catalyst for it was very innocuous.”

Bowers admitted racially-aggravated provocation of violence and was handed a 12-month community order with 200 hours of unpaid work, £200 compensation and £145 in costs.

Brown admitted criminal damage and two counts of assault, while York admitted racially-aggravated criminal damage and two counts of racially-aggravated assaults.

They each received 18 weeks’ jail for the assaults, plus four weeks for the criminal damage charges, all suspended for 12 months.

They each had to pay £750 in compensation, Brown was also given 200 hours of unpaid work while York was given a three-month curfew order.

All three were handed a one-year restraining order to not enter the pizza shop.

Mansfield Chad

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Serial racist has blown £50,000 inheritance on booze and living in hotels

By
June 3, 2016
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A SERIAL racist who has blown a £50,000 inheritance through drinking and misbehaving will be given a chance to mend her ways with the help of a tough East Lancashire rehab regime.

Jasmine Astin, who has no fewer than six convictions for racially-aggravated disorder, has been told she must live in a women’s only drying-out unit run by Blackburn-based Thomas.

Appearing before Burnley Crown Court, the 22-year-old admitted attacking Asian-owned takeaways in Rawtenstall and Blackburn.

Emma Kehoe, prosecuting, said Astin had initially been ordered to leave Mi-Mi’s, in Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, on February 7, after being racially abusive to staff and customers. But she returned armed with a knife, which she began waving around and continued to be offensive.

Astin, of no fixed address, was charged with a racially-aggravated public order offence and possession of a bladed article before being bailed by police.

But on February 14 she was found abusing Asian staff at the Tasty Spot takeaway in Darwen Street, Blackburn, the court heard.

Miss Kehoe said: “She climbed over the counter … and when she was challenged she then started with the racial abuse.”

Astin also tried to spit at staff before they managed to remove her from the premises. She then went next door to the Pyramid takeaway, where she started throwing chairs around and racially abused staff.

Mark Stuart, defending, said his client, who admitted involvement in each of the incidents, had received a substantial inheritance, aged 18, after the death of her father. He told the court she had spent the money, on drinking, and staying in hotels and bed and breakfasts.

Others had taken advantage of her, including people she met through Facebook, but she now realised her life had to change,which could be assisted through the alcohol-free Thomas Project said Mr Stuart.

Imposing a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, Judge Jonathan Gibson told Astin she had a ‘shocking record’ for racially-aggravated offences.

The judge said Astin, who must undertake a 12-month rehabilitation requirement,should initially live as directed by Thomas.

Lancashire Telegraph

North West Infidels thug jailed for biting off man’s ear after gate-crashing birthday party and stealing sandwiches

By
May 12, 2016
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Shaun Jones, who has a lengthy record of violence, was drunk and high on cocaine at the time. His defence said he was ‘frightened of custody’
SJ
A far-right thug bit off a man’s ear – after being confronted for gate-crashing an 18th birthday party buffet and helping himself to food.

Shaun Jones, 35, who has links to nationalist protest group ‘North West Infidels’, has been jailed for four years for the attack.

A Manchester Crown Court sentencing hearing was told he turned violent after he and his twin brother were told they couldn’t have any more sandwiches.

Trouble flared in the Royal Oak pub, at Barton Road, Eccles , after Shaun Jones’ twin, Daniel, went into a side room where food had been prepared for party guests.

After Daniel was spotted pinching food for himself and his brother, the host’s brother told them: “Touch those f***ing sandwiches again and I’ll smash your face in.”

The pair ignored him and went back and helped themselves to more nibbles.

A 62-year-old man, who was the event’s ‘official photographer’ then challenged Daniel, telling him: “It’s for a birthday, you shouldn’t be nicking the buffet.”

Daniel reported this to Shaun, who the court heard is the bigger of the pair and has a lengthy record for violence.

Drunk and high on cocaine, Shaun reacted by thumping the 62-year-old man in the head.

As the victim lay on the floor, Daniel punched him about the head and kicked him repeatedly in the backside.

When the victim got to his feet, still holding his pint, Shaun Jones gripped him in a bear hug and bit down on his right ear.

The attack left the victim’s ear ‘hanging by a thread’, prosecutor Rob Hall said.

At the time of the brutal assault, Shaun Jones was subject to a conditional discharge after shrieking racist abuse at locals at a protest against a mosque development in Bolton staged by North West Infidels.

He was also subject to a suspended sentence for beating his wife, was on bail for another offence of violence, and was due to appear at the magistrates three days afterwards.

Shaun Jones of Cromwell Road, Eccles, admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent following the pub row at 9pm on May 30 last year.

His sentencing hearing was told his lengthy history of violence includes drunken and abusive offending, attacks on his wife, a police custody officer, and a pub landlord.

Bob Elias, defending, said Shaun Jones ran a successful removals business and was supported by his ‘long-suffering wife’ – with whom he enjoyed a holiday in Egypt shortly before being locked up.

“It was his brother filching food, he joins in stupidly”, Mr Elias added.

“He is frightened by what he did and the lack of control, his wife is frightened too, she knows how things can be when he’s drunk.

“He’s had an ultimatum from her, she is long-suffering, she has been abused by him in the past, but they are a couple and the most powerful influence over a rational human being is his partner.

“He’s not dangerous – he didn’t start this quarrel, he involved himself in his brother’s quarrel, and took matters into his own hands. He is in many ways a commendable hardworking man.

” He’s frightened of custody and the person he becomes when he’s drunk. It takes courage to realise you can be a Jekyll and Hyde character – that could cause the court to have a tincture of mercy.”

Daniel Jones, 35, of Anson Street, Eccles, admitted a public order offence for his part and was given a community order with unpaid work.

Defending the railway worker, who has previous convictions for drink driving and benefit fraud, Hunter Gray said: “His taking of the sandwich was not designed to be aggressive or provocative, it was only with the involvement of his brother who threw the first punch that the matter devolved into physical violence – but for that involvement it would have been no more than a scuffle at most.

“I suspect police would never have been involved at all had the matter ended there and then.”

The victim’s ear has since been repaired, although he suffers permanent scarring.

The court heard Shaun Jones breached his bail by using Facebook to apologise to the victim, who says his camera suffered £1000 of damage, but told court in a statement he had made peace with his attacker and did not wish to see him jailed.

Sending down Shaun Jones, Recorder Michael Duck QC said: “You were behaving on any interpretation in a pretty boorish fashion, you were seen to be taking food.

“(The victim) did his best to persuade you to try and desist. Anyone hearing the facts would be appalled – I’m told you have come to recognise the appalling havoc your use of alcohol has caused – this particular night was no exception.

“You know if you mix alcohol and cocaine you are potentially a very volatile man, you are physically a very big man, capable of causing considerable harm.”

Manchester Evening News

Walker Nazi worshipper exposed as paedophile

By
April 18, 2016
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Cowen

HATE filled Nazi nut Michael Cowen strutted the streets as a tattooed hardman…

But today the Sunday Sun exposes him as nothing but a vile paedophile.

A worshipper of Hitler and the far right, the hulking 43-year-old strutted around as a henchman for extreme organisations.

His North home was a sickening shrine to the Nazis with displays of Swastikas, an SS flag and even a cannister of Zyklon B – the cyanide gas used to kill millions.

But behind this swaggering macho image hid his other horribly twisted obsession – a hateful passion for the abuse of little boys and girls.

For Cowen had a horrifying picture library of tens of thousands of indecent images of youngsters stored on his computers.

The secret stash of shame was discovered after he ordered extremist CDs by racist “Blood and Honour” rock groups.

Undercover officers intercepted them on their way to Cowen’s home in Losh Terrace, Walker in Newcastle’s East End.

The disks included bands with names like Ethnic Cleansing and Hate Crime, and featured tracks such as “Freezer Full of ****** Heads”, “Multicultural Take Over” and “Make Them Die Slowly”.

Also in the stash were CD sleeves, with pictures of human remains, beaten and battered bodies, and people who appeared to have been shot, as well as swastikas.

Accepting the delivery on December 7, 2009, Cowen asked the undercover officer about sending the packages on to Germany.

Shortly afterwards, police with a warrant searched his home and seized the CDs. They also found 11,000 MP3 tracks on his computer of similar songs, and the Nazi memorabilia.

But chillingly, they also uncovered thousands of child porn images on Cowen’s computer, hard drive, USB sticks and memory card, mainly of young boys.

The 17,058 pictures and 215 videos featured boys as young as six and included images classed as level five – the most serious level.

Investigations revealed during 2009, Cowen used filesharing software and a social network sites to contact other perverts and up and download images of children, including some he made himself.

Dubbing himself “Spaceapple” or “Derek” he offered to swap pictures and videos and discussed sinister fantasies including “snuffing out” boys – killing them in a sexual way and filming it.

He uploaded a total of 626 indecent images and seven videos.

In interviews with police, Cowen – who has a tattoo of the number 88, which represents the alphabet placing of HH for Heil Hitler – said he was a National Front member and enjoyed the music of white supremacist bands.

He described himself as a “white nation soldier” and said a friend in Germany had asked him to order the CDs, which he planned to send on.

At first he denied the child porn charges – even accusing one of his victims of downloading the images.

But he was caught out by one of the pictures, where he was visible as the photographer, reflected in a mirror.

At Newcastle Crown Court, Cowen admitted possessing racially inflammatory audio recordings and written material, 13 counts of making and four counts of possessing indecent images of children between November and December 2009, and 11 counts of distributing indecent images of children in April 2009.

Defending, Mark Saunders said Cowen was “socially isolated” and had been involved in the far right movement since he was at school.

Judge Paul Sloan QC told him: “You have a long involvement with extreme right-wing and neo Nazi groups. You have admitted acting as a henchman for a group.

“The racially inflammatory CDs and written material which were delivered to your home address are of a particularly vile and offensive nature.

“The indecent images were of young children aged six years old and up, and predominantly of boys. It is clear that some of the victims were being subjected to truly awful sexual abuse. These offences are so serious that only a custodial sentence is justified.”

Cowen was jailed for 12 months for the racist material and three years for the child porn charges, to run consecutively making a total of four years behind bars.

After the hearing Det Chief Insp Dave Anderson, said: “There is no place for such extreme views which spread hatred in our communities and we’ll continue to investigate and prosecute anyone involved in such activity in an effort to bring them to justice.”

And Det Sgt Chris Wilson, added: “During the execution of a search warrant at Cowen’s house computer equipment was seized and analysed which uncovered child pornography offences. He was subsequently charged with making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children after thousands of images and videos were recovered.

“Offending of this nature is taken very seriously and I’m pleased such a dangerous man as Cowen has been jailed for his crimes.”

NEIGHBOURS described Cowen as a loner who tended to keep himself to himself.

But they were shocked to discover what went on behind the closed curtains of his terraced home.

Meanwhile, relatives of the 43-year-old said they have totally disowned him because of the shame he has brought on their family.

“The police were here for about three days when they came to arrest him,” said Nicola Farrier-Carr, who lives just a few doors away from where the pervert lurked.

“At first people though it was for racism – he tried to play it down, he was being targeted. But then my sister was warned by social services to keep away from him, and we realised it was something much worse. I stopped letting my kids play anywhere out of my sight.”

The 24-year-old mum, who has a two-year-old son and four-year-old daughter, added: “We very rarely saw him – you might see him going to the shop or something but that was about it. He was quiet and kept to himself.”

Now, all that remains to hint at the sinister goings-on within Cowen’s modest end-of-terrace house is a solitary St George’s flag sticker in a window.

But the emotional impact will last much longer. Much of Cowen’s family has already disowned him.

“We are totally shocked and disgusted,” said one family member, who the Sunday Sun agreed not to name. “We had no idea what he was like, he lied to us all about it, and we all feel so angry.

“He has never apologised to anyone about what he did. Prison is the best place for him.”

Newcastle Chronicle

EDL member racially abused Grimsby shop workers and smashed window

By
March 27, 2016
Uncategorized
WALKED FREE: Mathew Burton, who racially abused two men in a shop

Mathew Burton, pictured outside Grimsby magistrates court.

A SELF-PROCLAIMED EDL member who racially abused two Grimsby shop workers and smashed in a window walked free from court – because his co-accused “had not faced the right charge”.

Mathew Burton, of Durban Road, Grimsby, pleaded guilty to racially abusing Kanaganayagan Thirumurugan and Kanaganayagam Thirukumaran at Today’s Local Store, in Victoria Street, on Wednesday, September 30, 2015.

He was also charged with causing £500 of criminal damage to the shop window.

Grimsby Magistrates’ Court heard that Burton racially abused and taunted the two victims.

The court heard the 27-year-old shouted racist abuse before saying “get out of the country. I am a member of the EDL.

“I will close your shop.”

CCTV footage from the shop was seized by police.

The complainant served Burton despite being abused and did not retaliate, Karen Tunicliffe, prosecuting, said.

Having left the shop after buying a packet of cigarettes, Burton then returned with Nathan Meadows, who was wearing a jumper with EDL on the back.

The pair started to become aggressive as they waited at the back of a queue, with Meadows shouting “I will brick your face and smash your face up”.

Meadows spat on the floor and then appeared to spit towards the man behind the counter, before pushing items off the counter, the court heard.

Meadows then threw and landed seven or eight punches.

They left the store and Meadows was seen to lash out at the window of a passing bus.

The two of them then caused the glass to shatter on the shop’s window.

Meadows, 27, of Convamore Road, was given a 12-month conditional discharge at an earlier hearing, having been charged with using threatening or abusive words or behaviour.

Two other charges were dismissed after no evidence was offered.

Burton originally pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea before the case went to trial.

He carried out the offence while on bail for motoring offences, the prosecution said.

Mark McNeil, mitigating, said his client accepted what he did was unacceptable, adding that drink had impinged his decision making.

“He accepts he is easily led and often falls to peer pressure in a need to impress others,” he said.

He added: “I am not belittling the nature of the offence, but I am somewhat confused the co-accused was sentenced in the manner he was.

“One would say the co-accused was more culpable. He seems to be the main protagonist and yet he walked away with a conditional discharge.”

Deputy district judge Derek French described Burton’s behaviour as “absolutely despicable”.

“There is no way the charge against the co-accused was the right charge,” he added.

“If the co-accused did not go into custody then you shouldn’t either.

“You have been very fortunate today, you should have gone to prison.”

He was handed a six-month sentence, suspended for 12 months and was given 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to the complainant, £500 to repair the window, an £80 victims’ surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.

Grimsby Telegraph