A man who claims to be a member of the English Defence League has been found guilty of threatening a Muslim taxi driver because of his religion, after “refusing” to attend court to mount a defence to the charge.

Charles Dickie, aged 23, was due to appear before magistrates in Northampton yesterday to stand trial over an incident in Daventry earlier this month, but he would not get into a prison van to transport him to the hearing, the court heard.

After hearing the case in his absence, chair of the bench, Mabel Lilley, found the case against Dickie proved, and said the magistrates were minded to impose a 20-week prison sentence when Dickie could be brought before the court.

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Four Yorkshire EDL supporters were jailed this week for a vicious attack on two Asian teenagers.

Leeds Crown Court heard how the four yobs, Dale Oakley, Jordan Williams and Melvin Watts all of Dewsbury, and Josh Foster of Tadcaster attacked the two teenagers in revenge as Foster and Williams, had been beaten up by an Asian group at an earlier date. However, neither of the victims was involved in the initial attack on Foster and Williams.

Williams struck one of the teenagers with a stick while Watts, slashed one of them in the face with a knife he had brought from home.

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A bricklayer who denies taking part in an attack on Kingston Mosque is “no angel” and lied to police during his interview, a court has heard.

Martin Pottle, 23, a former Orleans Park School pupil from Feltham told the court he originally lied to police as he was hungover and scared of being remanded in custody as he was on bail in connection with another offence.

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An Epsom builder has been grilled over why he bought bacon which was subsequently thrown at a mosque.

Builder David Morris, 22, is one of nine men accused of violent disorder, affray and racially-aggravated damage when a hooded mob attacked Kingston Mosque in November 2010. The incident took place after an English Defence League rally outside the mosque in East Road with a mob chanting English Defence League slogans as elderly worshippers cowered inside the building.

Taking the stand at Kingston Crown Court on Monday Mr Morris refused to answer a number of questions during his cross-examination. Leading Judge Georgina Kent had to warn him three times about the inferences the jury may take from his no comment responses.

Mr Morris told the court he picked up bacon from Tesco Metro “for a joke”. He said: “Obviously it was a march against Islamic extremism and they don’t eat bacon.” When he went back to the nearby King’s Tun pub other people threw the bacon around and he did not see it again, he told the court.

He was also asked about a photo on his mobile phone which showed co-defendant Alfie Wallace and another unidentified man in East Road holding sticks. Asked why he took it and what the men intended to do with the sticks he said: “I don’t know.”

Kingston Guardian, 21 March 2012

Police in Kirklees are appealing for information from the public after a series of incidents in Cleckheaton, Heckmondwike and Dewsbury that followed an English Defence League (EDL) demonstration on Saturday in Cleckheaton.

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A man accused of taking part in an attack on Kingston Mosque denied making up lies to clear his name, a court has heard.

The prosecution claimed all nine men on trial at Kingston Crown Court could be identified on CCTV walking toward the mosque in a large group on November 21, 2010.

Martin Pottle, 23, of Hanworth, interrogated by police on January 6, 2011, was accused in his interview of making up a story about walking to Sainsbury’s with a friend, whose name he could not remember, so his friend could top-up his phone.

Jordan Ellingham, 21, of Feltham, said he went on the march to be “a bit patriotic”, heard people say “let’s go to the mosque” and was “intrigued” so went to East Road, the jury heard.

Mr Ellingham told police: “I didn’t know what was going on. A bit of shouting and then I think a few things being thrown by people.” He said: “I weren’t aggressive, weren’t violent.”

Kingston Guardian, 21 March 2012

As we have previously noted, both Pottle and Ellingham are associates of Joel Titus, the English Defence League’s former national youth organiser, as is another of the defendants, Paul Abley. Last year, following a series of violent incidents on EDL demonstrations, Titus was slapped with an ASBO banning him from attending any further EDL protests or loitering outside mosques.