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Tag Archives: Racial Conviction

Viewers slam ‘pathetic’ sentence given to vile racist who abused police officer on Call the Cops

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September 3, 2019
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Michael Westwood was filmed hurling abhorrent abuse at police officer Sam.

The sentence given to a racist who hurled vile abuse at a black police officer has been branded “pathetic” after the shocking incident was shown on last night’s episode of Call the Cops.

Viewers were given a glimpse of the abuse suffered by police officers working on the front line in the third episode of the Channel 4 show.

Officers Sam and Josh were filmed responding to a hostile incident involving a couple at an address in Plymouth.

Viewers watched in horror as Michael Westwood made repetitive references to the colour of Sam’s skin, along with references to an Islamaphobic organisation during a prolonged verbal attack.

Westwood was arrested for a racially aggravated public order offence.

The footage left viewers reeling in anger.

Following the show, Devon and Cornwall Police revealed the sentence handed to Westwood, who failed to turn up to his sentencing hearing.

In a tweet the force said: “For those who watched episode three of #CallTheCops, Michael Westwood was charged and pled guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence.

“He didn’t appear at the hearing which took place at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court in August,

“In his absence Westwood was fined £350 plus costs of £85 to go to the CPS and a surcharge of £35.

“Victim compensation was set at £50.

“Unacceptable

Viewers were quick to hit out at the sentence, branding it “pathetic”, “disgraceful” and “shameful”.

One said: “And this is why criminals don’t give a toss, no consequences. That guy made me, just a normal white guy, feel ashamed of my so called fellow race.”

Another added: “Is that it?! So he probably doesn’t have a job and WE will end up paying it. Not a deterrent at all that is it?! Sad times.”

Many felt the offence justified a prison sentence.

One person tweeted: “That is a shameful. That guy deserved jail time.”

While a second viewer wrote: “Should have been jailed for at least 5 yrs…no wonder crime is rife….no punishment!”

There was also widespread support and praise for Sam, who revealed the force had offered to take him off the front line in order to protect him for abuse.

Sam’s experience

Speaking about the racial abuse he has received throughout his career, Sam said: “In all seriousness, I have lost count of the amount of times I’ve been racially abused.

“Peoples attitude towards race had on the whole got better, with the exception of three years ago when the political world started to change.”

Sam went on to admit that the force gave him the option of leaving the front line, in an attempt to stop the racial abuse.

“In 2016 the force legal team, their concern was my welfare,” he said.

“They wanted to know whether I wanted to remain as a response office or whether I wanted to be removed from the front line to save myself being racially abused.

“My response to that was I joined the police to be a response officer and work on the front line. If someone racially abuses me because of the colour of my skin, I’m not the one who has the problem, they’re the ones that have the problem.

“They’re the ones that are going to have to learn that black police officers, male or female reflect the society we live in and we make society safe.

“That was the message I wanted our senior management to be aware of.”

Plymouth Herald

Mo Salah: Man sentenced over racist tweets about Liverpool star

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August 30, 2019
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A man who posted racist tweets about Liverpool FC footballer Mohamed Salah has received a suspended jail sentence.

During an online chat with Liverpool fans, Gary Hyland, 32, from Bootle, Merseyside, joked about the Egyptian striker praying to Mecca at half-time and sent altered images of the whole team praying to Allah.

A supporter asked him: “What’s the issue with Muslims lad? Can you even articulate it?”

Hyland – reportedly an Everton fan – then sent a photograph of Salah with a suicide vest superimposed on the top part of the player’s body as well as making racist remarks about Salah and sending further images that poked fun at people praying to Allah.

The tweets on August 6 were reported to Merseyside Police and two days later Hyland was arrested at his home.

Hyland later said to officers: “I know I’ll get charged. It was me.”

Earlier this month he pleaded guilty to racially/religiously aggravated intentional harassment and obstructing an officer in the execution of his duty.

On Friday he was given a six-week jail term, suspended for 12 months, said the Crown Prosecution Service.

Sefton magistrates also ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work in the community and 14 days of a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, including attending a Promoting Human Dignity Course.

Angela Conlan, of Mersey Cheshire Crown Prosecution Service, said: “He pleaded guilty and admitted what he’d done was stupid. These sorts of remarks fuel racial hatred and are extremely offensive to people from the race or religion that they are aimed at.

“Mohamed Salah does not deserve to be the object of abuse and neither does any person in a civilised society. The tweets were sent in the early hours of the morning and Hyland turned a discussion into a racist rant.

“That is not acceptable. Let this be a lesson to everyone that words can hurt and society has standards that must be upheld.”

Evening Standard

Man who posed with fake shotgun convicted of inciting hatred against Muslims

By
August 30, 2019
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Jay Davison wrote ‘heil, heil, heil’ in a series of racist Instagram posts

Jay Davison admitted posting the photos but claimed he was drunk and did not mean to incite hatred ( CPS )

A man who posed with a fake shotgun and urged people to “stand up” has been convicted of stirring up religious hatred against Muslims.

Jay Davison talked about “Aryans” and wrote “heil, heil, heil” in a series of Instagram posts and comments.

A photo showed the 38-year-old posing topless holding what appeared to be a large shotgun, with the caption: “F*** Allah”.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that he shared a second photo with the fake weapon in August last year, and wrote a series of racist comments.

“Ever seen a white man cut a head off? No because they’re f***ing scum. Heil, heil, heil, heil, f*** Allah c***,” one read.

“When has an Aryan cut another man’s head off?” said another comment.

The posts were published on a private Instagram account with 394 followers, but the police were alerted after screen shots were posted to a WhatsApp group later the same day.

When Davison was arrested days later, he admitted posting the messages after an evening of drinking but claimed he was not racist and did not intend to incite racial hatred.

He said that the photos were taken at a friend’s house with an ornamental gun but he refused to name the friend.

However, prosecutors said his comments urged people to “stand up” and contained phrases associated with Nazism and white supremacy.

Davison, of Rhiwbina in Cardiff, was found guilty of stirring up racial and religious hatred on Wednesday.

Jenny Hopkins, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “The material Davison posted was clearly threatening, abusive and insulting. His intention can only have been to stir up religious and racial hatred.

“His defence that he regretted his actions and was drunk was rejected by the jury.

“This is a warning to people that posting material online can have damaging consequences for them offline.”

Davison will be sentenced at a later date for one count of publishing material with intent to stir up religious hatred and two counts of publishing material with intent to stir up racial hatred.

He was found not guilty of two further counts of stirring up religious hatred.

The case comes amid heightened concern over the far-right terror threat, which has been incorporated into government assessments for the first time.

Statistics released by the Home Office showed that more than half of a record number of religiously-motivated hate crimes were directed at Muslims in 2017/18.

The number of people referred to the Prevent counter-extremism programme over suspected far-right extremism has rocketed by 36 per cent in the same period.

British security services say Isis-inspired groups and individuals pose the biggest threat to the UK, but five right-wing terror plots have been foiled since March 2017.

The Independent.

Man who posted Instagram pictures with gun and racist captions found guilty of inciting racial hatred

By
August 28, 2019
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Jay Davison, 38, posted two photos on Instagram of himself bare-chested holding what appeared to be a shotgun and posted a series of anti-Islamic comments

Jay Davison, 38, was found guilty of inciting racial and religious hatred (Image: Wales News Service)


A man who posed with a gun and posted offensive and racist comments on social media has been found guilty of inciting racial and religious hatred.

Jay Davison, 38, posted two photos on Instagram of himself bare-chested holding what appeared to be a shotgun and posted a series of anti-Islamic comments .

These included references to the Nazi terms “Heil” and “Aryan” and referred to the Islamic god Allah as a “c***”.

The comments themselves included the phrase “f*** Allah” and the term “‘f*** you racist Allah c****”.

The self-employed electrician also posted: “Ever seen a white man cut a head off? No because they’re f****** scum. Heil, heil, heil, heil, f*** Allah c***” and “When has an Aryan cut another man’s head off?”.

The posts came to light after one of Davison’s followers took a screenshot of the pictures and comments and posted them to a separate WhatsApp group.

Another member of that group was concerned Davison was threatening violence towards the Muslim community and reported the posts to the police.

A trial at Cardiff Crown Court heard that Davison, of Rhiwbina , Cardiff , was a recovering alcoholic who claimed to have posted the messages while heavily intoxicated. He denied being a racist or anti-Muslim.

Giving evidence during the trial he said: “It was terrible judgement on my behalf and I should not have posted it. It was drunken stupidity. When I am sober I am a completely different person.

“I was at a low ebb, rock bottom, I had no self-esteem and was seeking attention from others.”

On Wednesday a jury took just over an hour to return their verdicts. Davison was found guilty of one count of inciting religious hatred and two counts of inciting racial hatred. He was found not guilty of two counts of inciting religious hatred.

Davison’s barrister asked Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke to adjourn his client’s sentencing for a pre-sentence report to be carried out and for Davison to be bailed so he could “get his affairs in order”.

Addressing the defendant, Judge Lloyd-Clarke said: “You have been convicted of a number of serious offences and an immediate custodial sentence is inevitable.

“I am going to order a pre-sentence report but I am going to remand you in custody.”

Davison, of Craig yr Allt, will appear at the same court for sentencing on Monday, September 23.

Wales Online

Sunderland yob who ripped off woman’s niqab jailed after attacking former female friend with hammer while out on licence

By
August 27, 2019
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A yob who made headlines when he ripped a woman’s niqab from her face in Sunderland has been jailed after attacking a former female friend with a hammer.

Peter Scotter, 58, hit the woman on the head with the tool in a pub in Sunderland, causing a 5.5cm laceration to the top of her head after she spurned his advances.

At the time of the attack Scotter was on licence for racially aggravated common assault after he tore a headscarf from a Muslim woman in The Bridges shopping centre.

Scotter had told his victim, “you’re in our country now, get out”, and, “our Britain, you live by our rules”, as racial tension in the country ran high in the days after Britain voted to leave the EU.

He was jailed for 15 months before being released on licence.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how at around 10pm on September 3 last year Scotter entered The Charltons pub in Sunderland.

Harry Hadfield, prosecuting, told the court the victim regarded him as a friend until he asked her to be his girlfriend, after which she avoided him.

Mr Hadfield said: “She was standing at the bar and recalls the defendant spoke to her.

“What she felt was a painful blow to the top of her head and when she looked up what she saw was the defendant with a hammer in his hand.

“She was struck with a hammer, one blow, when they were face to face.”

Scotter was then escorted out by other people in the pub.

Mr Hadfield told the court that in her victim impact statement the woman had said she had done absolutely nothing to deserve the attack, felt he could have “killed her” and was now anxious to leave her home.

On July 3 2016 Scotter, who at the time had 70 previous convictions, had approached a 29-year-old Muslim woman while she waited for her husband outside a shop.

He then reached out and pulled her niqab veil from her head and threw it on the ground – exposing her face to the public.

The court heard how Scotter shouted, “take that off, you stupid Muslim”, along with other racist slurs and the victim was left exposed and scared by what happened to her.

In relation to the most recent case Anthony Hawks, defending, said: “It is important that the events be looked at against the background.

“The background is that despite what the complainant says, it is she who wanted to have a relationship with the defendant who is married. He declined that.”

Mr Hawks said that Scotter said she had begun a campaign, including posts on social media against him, which lead him to believe that she was responsible for intimidating his mother.

He told the court: “That’s what caused the red mist to descend and for him to behave in the way he did.

“Nothing can justify what the defendant did, it was a cowardly and disgraceful thing to do and the defendant knows that.”

He added that Scotter is working and has stayed out of trouble for the last year since the incident.

Scotter pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and having an offensive weapon at an earlier hearing.

Mr Recorder Andrew Dallas sentenced Scotter, of Hendon Close, Sunderland, to 12-months imprisonment and said: “This was an extremely serious incident.

“It was not spontaneous, it was premeditated.

“You have an appalling record, especially for violence.”

Mr Recorder Dallas also put a five-year restraining order in place, preventing him from contacting the victim and ordered Scotter to pay a victim surcharge.`

Sunderland Echo

Mum called pregnant shopper a “p*** immigrant” in racist tirade in Sainsbury’s

By
July 20, 2019
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Susan Morgan-Bird, 35, racially abused Salma Gul and threatened to “kick her unborn baby out of her” at the superstore in Burnley, Lancashire

Morgan-Bird, 35, screamed “you fat black b***h” at Mrs Gul

A mum-of-two called a heavily pregnant shopper a “p***” immigrant” and threatened to kick her unborn child out of her at a Sainsbury’s checkout.

Susan Morgan-Bird, 35, also screamed “you fat black b***h” at Salma Gul as she emptied her basket onto the conveyor belt at the superstore in Burnley, Lancashire.

Morgan-Bird was stood behind the victim, who was 32 weeks pregnant, when she launched her vile racist tirade, adding: “I’m going to kick the baby out of you.”

Married mum-of-two Morgan-Bird, who is on benefits, then shouted: “You’re having that baby for the benefits” and “your husband is a drug dealer”.

Mrs Gul was left distraught, sobbing and afraid of going out after what she described as the “nasty” and “disgusting” outburst.

Ex-waitress Morgan-Bird, who has a conviction for battery from 2009, could have been facing up to two years in jail for the racist attack at 1pm on January 23, if she had been committed to the crown court for sentence, but escaped with a community order.

The court was told she has mental health problems and sometimes struggles to control her emotions, but “knew her issues didn’t excuse what she did”.

Philippa White, prosecuting, said Mrs Gul got the feeling that a woman, about six metres away, was staring at her as she emptied her basket.

She then heard some racial abuse, asked the woman what her problem was and she replied “You are.”

The victim said: “Lets sort it out,” and the defendant replied: “You come here then.”

Mrs Gul ignored her and began to be served at the till.

Mrs White said the next thing the victim knew Morgan-Bird was directly behind her with a member of staff and said: “I was going to bash her in, but she is stopping me,” referring to the assistant.

The staff member intervened and ushered the defendant away to another till.

Morgan-Bird began unloading her shopping onto the counter, saying: “I was going to sort her out, but she is stopping me,” again referring to the worker.

The prosecutor said when it was pointed out that Mrs Gul was pregnant, the defendant said :” Yeah, I know. I was going to punch the baby out of her.”

Mrs Gul asked: ‘You are going to what? “and Morgan-Bird shouted: “I’m going to kick the baby out of you.”

The victim continued to pay for her shopping and was escorted from the store by the staff member who had tried to stop the defendant’s behaviour.

Morgan-Bird told the victim: “You’re having that baby for the benefits. Your husband is a drug dealer. You immigrant. You p*** bitch”.

Mrs White said when the victim got home she told her sister what had happened and broke down in tears.

Mrs White told the court that in her impact statement, Mrs Gul said since the incident, she was more fearful about going out on her own.

The prosecutor said: “She is worried that something similar may happen again. She says she was made to feel incredibly vulnerable, especially as she was pregnant at the time. The incident has made her more wary and cautious when she was does go out and about.”

Cathryn Fell, defending Morgan-Bird, told the hearing what she said was “totally unacceptable.”

The solicitor said: “She wishes to apologise to the victim. There was no attempt at any physical violence. From her point of view, there was a bit of provocation. It’s not suggested the victim was staring at her, but that’s what she thought at the time.”

Morgan-Bird, of Hapton, near Burnley, admitted racially aggravated harassment.

She was given a 12-month community order, with a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement and was ordered to pay the victim £50 compensation.

Morgan-Bird must also pay £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.

Daily Mirror

Man convicted for shouting ‘get back to your own country’ at young mother wearing headscarf as she walked down street with children

By
July 19, 2019
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Self-declared white supremacist Leslie Blaney told police ‘non-white English speaking people should leave England and have no part here’

A white supremacist who told a young mother wearing a headscarf to “get back to your own country where you belong” has been convicted of racially aggravated harassment.

Leslie Blaney, 65, “unleashed a torrent of racial abuse” at the victim as she walked in the street with her two young children in Workington, Cumbria.

He was arrested after two passers-by overheard him shouting “various racial insults” and flagged down a passing police van in Murray Road on 1 July, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

During a police interview, Blaney described himself as a white supremacist and said he believed all “non-white English speaking people should leave England and have no part here”.

Asked whether he thought his behaviour was acceptable, he answered: “To me it is.”

Blaney pleaded guilty to racially aggravated behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm and distress at Workington Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

Pamela Fee, senior crown prosecutor for northwest England, said: “Leslie Blaney, a self-declared white supremacist, unleashed a torrent of racial abuse at a young mother as she walked down a busy street with her young children, simply because she was wearing a headscarf.

“Spouting such poisonous views in a public place is not acceptable in today’s society and we will continue to bring before the courts those who commit hate crime offences.”

She commended the passers-by who flagged down police, and who were also verbally abused by Blaney after challenging him over the abuse.

Ms Fee said: “Had it not been for their courage and support, the victim would have walked away and Blaney would never had been brought to justice for his deplorable actions.

“I would encourage anyone who hears racist abuse or sees a repeated pattern of racist behaviour to come forward to report it regardless of how minor an incident may initially appear.”

Blaney was sentenced to a 10-week community order with a curfew and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £90 victim surcharge.

His conviction comes after Donald Trump used similar language in a racist attack on four US congresswomen. The president told Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib to “go back” to the “totally broken and crime infested places from which they came”.

Authorities have since been urged to step up protections for Democrat representatives, all of whom are US citizens and three of whom were born in the country.

The Independent

Racist tenant asked for move to white area of the Borders

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July 19, 2019
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A SELF-CONFESSED racist telephoned his landlords and demanded to be re-housed after being told an immigrant was moving into a neighbouring property, a court has been told.

Gilbert Robbins had moved into the Borders village of Ettrickbridge last year after being informed no foreigners lived there.

But after being told there were plans for a Libyan refugee to be moved into a house next to him, the 63-year-old tenant hit the roof and telephoned Selkirk-based Eildon Housing Association asking they find another property for him.

During the conversation he admitted he was racist and had extreme right wing views and allegedly said that all foreigners should be lined up and shot.

The housing assistant at the other end of the line told Robbins it was a “disgusting thing to say” and terminated the phone call.

However Robbins followed this up with two emails regarding his “home move” and “re-housing request” to his female housing officer, who is originally from Sudan, which were littered with racial comments.

Following a trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court Robbins was found guilty of a breach of the Communications Act by sending emails and telephone messages to three employees of Eildon Housing on April 10 that were racist, offensive and abusive.

Sheriff Kevin Duffy deferred sentence for five months for good behaviour telling the plant operator he was being “given a chance” and he had to avoid repeating sending similar messages.

In the first email, sent to the housing officer of Sudanese-origin at 10.41am, Robbins wrote: “Dear Mrs. Now don’t take this personally.

“I live in Woodend, Ettrickbridge. Before I took this property, I specifically asked if there were any immigrants in the building or in the near vicinity. I was advised no!

“However, I’ve now been told by a neighbour, that the empty house, across the landing from me has been allocated to a black man.

“On the basis that I’m as extreme right wing and racist as you can get…to the point of actually HATING every foreigner in this country, I would like to be considered for a house in a white area as I couldn’t live near these people.

“Call me racist, that’s okay, I am.

“We have a government that’s ethnically cleansing our white, Christian country and I’m anti-that.

“The bottom line is I can’t live in the same building as foreigners, Islamists, blacks or even Eastern Europeans…..I HATE THEM ALL.”

Giving evidence during the trial the housing officer was so upset by the racial contents of the email that she left work and went home.

She added that later on the Libyan man was informed of Robbins’ views and declined to take up the tenancy in the picturesque village which has a population of around 100.

After the e-mail was sent a housing manager from Eildon telephoned Robbins to say what he had said in the telephone call and e-mail was unacceptable.

But Robbins, originally from the west coast of Scotland, hit back with another e-mail timed at 14.45 on the same day to the housing officer saying: “I was shocked and dismayed by the attitude of your staff, when I requested a move due to a foreigner moving under the same roof as me.

“Unfortunately I’m not multi-cultural and have nothing in common with foreigners.

“It’s like Harpie Eagles to live with Spider Monkeys.

“It just doesn’t work! Hence my request for a move.

“What does bother me is…. Eildon staff telling me I’m disgusting for my views and then be told Eildon’s concerned due to my views.

“Whatever happened to free speech?

“Is Eildon taking the stance that, if you don’t love immigrants, Islamists, Eastern Europeans, etc that in Eildon’s eyes you’re a concern?

“If you go back and listen to what I’ve said and look at what I’ve wrote…you will discover that contrary to my views on immigrants, I didn’t request that Eildon shouldn’t put a black man next to me, I requested `a move from the black man.

“Therefore…how can you have concerns about me?

“Political correctness gone too far.”

The messages were reported by Eildon Housing Association to the police and Robbins was interviewed at Hawick Police Station on April 13 he repeated his racist views but added he could not remember saying about all foreigners should be lined up and shot.

He commented: “If that was on the call that’s only my views concerning foreigners. I wasn’t wanting to upset anyone, it’s just my views.”

Summing up the Crown case procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said the messages were “wholly offensive” and “racially aggravated”.

Robbins, who acted for himself during the trial, put forward a defence submission under Article 10 of the European Court of Human Rights pointing out he could say what he likes as long as he was not pressuring someone or threatening them with violence.

But Sheriff Duffy said the language used in the telephone calls and message had gone “well beyond” what was acceptable and found him guilty of the charge.

The sheriff noted Robbins’ last criminal conviction dated back to 2013 so he deferred sentence until December to see if he could remain out of trouble.

He warned: “Be very careful what you are saying in e-mails and communications.”

Robbins said when he was working as a head of plant operator he would earn £750 to £1,000 a week but the court was told that he was currently £500 in arrears with his rent with Eildon and that he was in receipt of Universal Credit.

Border Telegraph

Fine For Pensioner Who Told Black Woman ‘When Brexit Comes You Will Be Gone’

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July 1, 2019
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A pensioner who told a black woman “when Brexit comes you will be gone” during an outburst in a betting shop has been fined £600.

John Keogh, 74, appeared at Croydon Magistrates’ Court and admitted committing a racially aggravated offence on August 30 2018.

In addition to the fine, he was handed a 12-month community order and told to pay costs and compensation to his victim.

John Keogh was fined £600 after telling Anneka Davis ‘when Brexit comes you will be gone’

Keogh lashed out at Anneka Davis while she was working at the Coral bookmakers in Peckham, south London, last year.

Prosecutor Jacqui Hughes said he told Davis she would be “gone” after becoming impatient while he waited for a £200 betting win to be handed over.

Hughes said: “Keogh came into the bookmakers to claim some winnings.

“He became impatient and when he was given the money, he told her, ‘When Brexit comes you will be gone’.

“She asked him what he meant by that and asked him to leave.”

Keogh also admitted calling Davis a “fucking n*****” as he left the shop, clenching his fists as he approached her at the door and causing her to “fear for her safety”.

Davis attended court to give evidence and said she was unable to work for five days after the incident because of stress.

Keogh leaving Croydon Magistrates Court on Monday

She said: “Due to the comments made by the man in question, I questioned whether I was welcome in this country as a black person.

“Due to the climate and everything that is going on with Brexit, I felt that I was questioning myself and whether I belonged.

“I was born in this country and I have lived here all my life. I can’t help that I was born black.”

Tariq Al-Mallak, defending, said there was “no explanation that could justify that behaviour” before telling the court Keogh suffers from PTSD following a car accident.

Chairman of the bench Douglas Hunter handed Keogh a community order lasting 12 months, in addition to a 10-week nightly curfew.

Hunter said: “People should be able to go to their place of work without fear of being abused in any way.

“It has had an impact on this young lady far beyond just that incident.”

Keogh was also ordered to pay £250 in compensation to Davis, costs of £350 and was banned from the Coral shop for one year.

The 74-year-old glared at Davis in the public gallery as he left court.

Keogh, of Lindsey Street, Bermondsey, admitted one count of racially aggravated public disorder.

Huff Post

James Goddard guilty: ‘Yellow vest protester’ convicted for assaulting M.E.N. photographer

By
June 26, 2019
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Goddard, who now has nine criminal convictions, has been fined and slapped with a restraining order after shouting and grabbing at the camera of a journalist covering a city centre demo for the M.E.N

‘Yellow vest’ protester James Goddard has been found guilty of assaulting a photographer as he covered a demo in Manchester city centre for the M.E.N.

Goddard, 29, grabbed at Joel Goodman’s camera as he took pictures and recorded video of the protest in Piccadilly Gardens in February.

He denied attacking him and defended himself in what was a heated trial attended by a number of his supporters, several of whom were removed from the courtroom at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.

However a judge this afternoon ruled his actions were unlawful and convicted him of common assault.

He was fined £300 and ordered to pay £500 in prosecution costs and £50 compensation to his victim.

A two-year restraining order was also put in place which prevents the defendant from approaching Mr Goodman.

He was found not guilty of a public order offence of using threatening words or behaviour to cause his victim to fear “immediate” violence after he told his victim he would “take his head off his shoulders.”

He told the court his words were a “common English idiom.” Judge Mark Hadfield said as the threat of violence was not “immediate”, the offence was not made out.

Before entering court a video of Goddard was uploaded onto Twitter of him saying he hoped the “got the right judge” and that he “got the right result”.

The court heard Goddard has nine previous convictions, including theft from an employer and failing to surrender in April 2010 and a racially aggravated public order offence in February 2011.

He told the court he now works as a “content creator” and is an “independent journalist”.

Police were earlier called into court after Mr Goddard surreptitiously held up a piece of paper with the words, “Pussy coward leftist soy boy” written on it as Mr Goodman entered the witness box.

Proceedings were temporarily halted whilst police officers, who were harangued by Mr Goddard’s supporters labelling them ‘jobsworths’, seized the piece of paper.

District Judge Hadfield warned that could have been treated as contempt of court but allowed it to “lie on the slate” and continue the trial after Mr Goodman ensured him he was happy to continue and be cross-examined by Goddard, who defended himself.

In video footage of the incident on Saturday February 9 this year from a Mr Goodman’s body-worn camera, Goddard lunges at Mr Goodman, twice trying to grab his camera as his victim backs away shouting: “Don’t you dare touch my lense!”

About 20 minutes later Mr Goodman told the court Goddard approached him again.

Goddard is filmed saying: “When there’s no police around here I’m going to take your head off your shoulders.

“Next time you are in London, you are finished, all the football lads know you. Next time you are down, see what happens.”

Mr Goodman told the court he took that to mean Goddard would “assault me in the future” and that is “scared me a bit.”

Using a megaphone and surrounded by yellow vest supporters, Goddard is then recorded referring to “Joel” and saying: “Your card is marked.”

Around 20 minutes later there is a third encounter where the two arguing about freedom of speech but this ends in a handshake.

Goddard was arrested five days after the incident at his home address on Kelvindale Drive, Timperley, Trafford.

He made no comment in his police interview but later claimed self-defence.

In court he He described his prosecution as a “witch hunt” and claimed he was being persecuted because Greater Manchester Police “fear the rise of the yellow vests.”

He said he had pushed Mr Goodman’s camera as he believed the pictures would be “given to organisations that tried to do me serious harm”.

He said: “I’m not proud of what I said. It’s a common English idiom. I wanted him out of my personal space.”

He added he had released a video “to my 15,000 followers” apologising for the comments to Mr Goodman.

Manchester Evening News