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Tag Archives: religiously aggravated harassment

Man who left a pigs head on the steps of a Muslim community centre spared jail.

By
July 29, 2013
community order, Racial Conviction, religiously aggravated harassment, Suspended sentence
Liam Ferrar outside Leicester Magistrates Court, where he was sentenced for leaving a pig's head on the steps of a Muslim community centre

Liam Ferrar outside Leicester Magistrates Court, where he was sentenced for leaving a pig’s head on the steps of a Muslim community centre


Liam Ferrar, 24, admitted leaving the frozen head outside a Muslim community centre in Leicester on Boxing Day last year

An office worker who left a pig’s head on the steps of a Muslim place of worship has been spared a jail sentence.

Liam Ferrar, 24, admitted leaving the frozen head outside a Muslim community centre in Leicester on Boxing Day last year, in a religiously motivated attack.

Ferrar, of Brook Road, Leicester, pleaded guilty last month to causing religiously aggravated harassment by leaving the frozen pig’s head on the steps of the city’s Thurnby Lodge Community Centre.

He was sentenced to 12 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for a year, after the court heard he had written a letter of apology to his victims and was disgusted by his actions.

Sentencing Ferrar at Leicester Magistrates’ Court, District Judge John Temperley described the offence as being “to some extent planned, premeditated and targeted”.

The district judge told Ferrar: “You were well aware of the significance of your actions.

“You knew that what you did would cause great distress, indeed that was your intention.”

The court heard that Ferrar was under the influence of alcohol when he placed the pig’s head – which had been stored in a freezer for several months – in an area where it could not be avoided by adults and children arriving for prayers.

Stressing that the offence had taken place against a background of protests at the community centre’s use as a place-of-worship, District Judge Temperley added: “It is easy to imagine the shock, distress and disgust (those who discovered the pig’s head) would have felt.

“The witnesses statements I have read bear testimony to the serious impact of your actions, but the harm you caused goes further.

“Others in the local community and beyond would also have been affected when news of this incident spread, prompting profound alarm, fear and insecurity.

“It should have been obvious that what you did was intimidatory and would only serve to enflame an already tense and volatile situation.”

Suspending the 12-week prison term because of Ferrar’s personal mitigation, including his previous good character, the district judge accepted that the defendant regularly gave his time and energy to local good causes.

District Judge Temperley told Ferrar, who was also ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid community work and pay £85 in costs: “The character references I have read do you great credit.

“I also accept that you have demonstrated genuine remorse and regret for your actions. You co-operated with the police and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.”

Louise Cox, prosecuting, told the court a group calling itself Forgotten Estates had stepped up protests at the community centre last summer.

Defence solicitor Stephen Morris said the protest group, of which Ferrar was a member, aimed to highlight the lack of facilities in the Thurnby Lodge area.

Claiming that his client had chosen to distance himself from Forgotten Estates in September last year, Mr Morris said: “The behaviour by Mr Ferrar on this occasion is out of character – he is not somebody who displays racist tendencies.”

The Independent

Carlisle man burnt Koran in city centre in protest at Muslim extremists

By
July 19, 2013
EDL, English Defence League, Jailed, Racial Conviction, racially aggravated harassment, theft

Andrew Ryan photo

A Carlisle man who burnt the Koran in the city centre could be facing up to two years in jail.

Andrew Ryan, who claims to be a member of the English Defence League, appeared at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court today.

He pleaded guilty to religiously aggravated harassment and theft – of the Koran from Carlisle Library.

The court heard he had burnt the Koran on January 19 because for the Muslims, the book is their ‘Holiest of Holy.’

He said he had been viewing internet clips of extremist Islamic preachers and protesters earlier in the day then ‘lost it’.

Ryan, 32, of Summerhill, went to the library and booked out a copy of the Koran using a card he had only applied for the day before.

He then went to the monument on English Street and in front of shocked witnesses started shouting abuse about the Muslim faith.

One of them was his former probation officer.

Ryan managed to set fire to the book on his second attempt, after a friend passed him a lighter, then threw it on the ground and walked away.

After arrest he told police that he knew his actions were likely to stir up religious aggravation.

He also spoke of ‘Asian gangs’ and his anger at Islam.

Ryan has a number of previous convictions for public order offences and assault.

Defence solicitor Lauren Heesley said he was protesting against Muslim extremists not Islam as a faith.

She told the court that he did not judge people by their race, religion or sexual orientation.

Ms Heesley claimed that his conviction for racially abusive chanting at a football match had been a misunderstanding.

She said he had been shouting abuse at the referee, as ‘the man in black’, rather than a player.

At this point Ryan started sniggering and his supporters in the public gallery openly laughed.

Ms Heesley said Ryan has a military background which he is proud of, so images of extremist Muslim protesters burning poppies had made him want to take revenge.

The case was adjourned until April 14 for pre-sentencing reports and Ryan was granted bail.

Magistrates did not discuss what punishment they were considering imposing but the offence carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

As he left the courtroom, Ryan punched the air and said ‘no surrender’ to cheers from his supporters.

Cumberland News

EDL chanter jailed over ‘vile’ abuse

By
July 19, 2013
EDL, English Defence League, Jailed, Racial Conviction, racially aggravated harassment

An ENGLISH Defence League supporter who chanted “Muslim bombers off our streets” has been jailed for eight months.

Daniel Parker, 39, was with a group who, according to a judge aimed “vile and disgusting” abuse at a religious leader.

The group had been on an EDL march in April when they began throwing stones outside Barnsley Muslim Community Centre.

The imam came out to find EDL supporters shouting abuse including “Why don’t you go back to your country?”

Prosecutor Louise Gallagher told Sheffield Crown Court that the imam heard a loud bang on the window as he was about to lead prayers and then went outdoors, where he “found the language abusive and racist.”

When arrested, Parker, of Prince Arthur Street, Barnsley, told police he was shouting “because he was drunk and an idiot”. He admitted an unusual offence of religiously aggravated harassment.

His barrister Tina Dempster said he was the only one of the group arrested and, if he had not admitted chanting, would probably not have been charged.

Judge Roger Keen said Parker was of previous good character.

But he added: “You and others ought to understand that that sort of behaviour will not be tolerated and people like you will go to prison.

Yorkshire Post

Racist is jailed

By
July 18, 2013
Drugs, EDL, English Defence League, Jailed, Racial Conviction, religiously aggravated harassment
Darren Conway.

Darren Conway.

THE OFFENSIVE actions of a Gainsborough man were blasted by a judge as he was jailed for displaying inflammatory racist posters in the front window of his flat.

Darren J Conway covered the window of his Heaton Street flat with posters, literature and photographs which attacked the Prophet Mohammed and the Muslim religion.

When police searched the 44-year-old’s flat, they also found 16 cannabis plants growing under a heated lens in his bathroom.

He had previously been found guilty of the charges at Magistrates Court, and appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on Tuesday 6th March for sentencing.

Conway, a former BNP member and supporter of the English Defence League, attracted comments from passers-by and workers at nearby businesses with his offensive display.

Mr Lowe, prosecuting, described a number of the 17 posters and other such material displayed that were ‘undoubtedly offensive to members of the Muslim and Islamic faith’.

Among the slogans on show from his ground-floor window were ‘Jihad works both ways’, ‘no surrender’, ‘Muslims are the most hateful of them all’ and a letter confirming that he was a member of the BNP.

A passer-by reported Conway after being disturbed by the pictures of mutilated Muslims with graphic and obscene messages and imagery.

In Conway’s defence, the court heard how he had no history of racism and he was a carer for his ailing, elderly father who had suffered from multiple strokes.

Conway claimed that he put the posters and other literature in his window simply to attract the attention of the letting agent for his flat with whom he was in dispute, claiming that he had been left for months without electricity in three rooms and described the flat as uninhabitable with mould on the walls.

When sentencing Conway, Hon Judge Heath slammed his offensive behaviour.

“You put 17 offensive pieces and posters in the window of your ground-floor flat where they were there for all to see,” he said.

“To describe the material that you put in your window as grossly offensive would be an understatement, to Muslims and right-thinking members of the public.”

Judge Heath continued: “There is no place in a civilised society for conduct of that sort and the only sentence is an immediate custodial one.”

Conway was sentenced to three months for the production of cannabis and 12 month religiously aggravated harassment.

Dinnington Today

Middlesbrough railway station race abuse group to pay £6k

By
July 18, 2013
EDL, English Defence League, Fined, Racial Conviction, religiously aggravated harassment, religiously aggravated intentional harassment

SIX men with links to a controversial right-wing pressure group have been ordered to pay almost £6,000 for chanting a sickening torrent of religious abuse

EDL members outside Teesside Magistrates Court

EDL members outside Teesside Magistrates Court

The men, who are associated with the English Defence League (EDL), were sentenced at Teesside Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

They were found guilty in August of shouting a highly inflammatory religious chant at Middlesbrough railway station.

Supporters of the men, some wearing EDL sweatshirts and carrying flags, gathered outside the court building yesterday as magistrates only allowed five people in the public gallery.

There was also a strong police presence both in and outside the court, along with mounted officers in Centre Square.

As reported, the group members – who all said they were associated to the EDL in some way – were convicted of religiously aggravated harassment and using threatening words or behaviour to cause harassment alarm or distress, after a two-day trial.

The incident happened at about 7.30pm on Saturday, December 10, after the group came to Middlesbrough to watch Boro play Brighton. But when they decided it was too cold, they visited several pubs in the town instead.

Trouble arose when the group arrived at the station and were heard by PC Andrew Ward, of British Transport Police, chanting EDL chants – as well as the highly inflammatory chant in question.

Addressing the defendants, Elizabeth Hutchinson, chairman of the bench, said: “It’s the court’s belief that you knew exactly what you were doing, that you deliberately set out to use racially abusive language and to intimidate members of the public.”

She added that the incident was aggravated by the fact that it was a group action which took place over a “length of time” where members of the public were present.

Between them, the defendants were fined £2,730 and ordered to pay £3,090 costs – adding up to £5,820. One person from the public gallery had to be escorted out by police after the sentencing.

Jak Beasley, 23, of Cedar Road, Bishop Auckland was fined £455 and ordered to pay £515 costs.

Ross Williams, 23, of Ebberston Court, Spennymoor, was fined £420 and ordered to pay £515 costs.

Christopher Caswell, 32, of West Auckland Road, Darlington, was fined £455 and ordered to pay £515 costs.

Paul Ross, 48, of Auckland Wind, Shildon, was fined £525 and ordered to pay £515 costs.

Dean Spence, 23, of Yew Close, Spennymoor, fined £455 and ordered to pay £515 costs.

Shaun Bunting, 33, of Fenhall Green, Newton Aycliffe, was fined £420 and ordered to pay £515 costs.

The EDL was formed in response to a protest in March 2009 organised by an Islamic group against troops returning from the war in Afghanistan.

The group states its aim is to demonstrate peacefully but conflicts with Unite Against Fascism and other opponents have led to street violence, anti-social behaviour and arrests.

In July last year, about 500 EDL supporters marched through Middlesbrough. The event, which was marked by a large police presence, passed off peacefully

Gazette Live