A financial adviser who aimed grossly offensive tweets at Muslims and Pakistanis was told he had “thinking deficiencies and old racist views”.
Ricky Lee Davies of St Thomas, Swansea, committed the Twitter offence after watching a television documentary about Muslim extremism.
A businessman who hurled missiles as he marched through Bristol with the English Defence League handed himself into the authorities when he realised he was a wanted man.
Barry Johnson was one of hundreds of marchers who took part in the high-profile demonstration through the city centre in July last year.
Bristol Crown Court heard how he was caught on film by a cameraman and images were later posted online by Avon and Somerset police in a bid to track him down. When he saw the images Johnson travelled from his home in Peterborough to admit his involvement in the incident.
The 29-year-old from Poplar Avenue, Peterborough, pleaded guilty to affray when he appeared in court.
Judge Martin Picton told him: “Throwing missiles is clearly dangerous. Someone could have been hurt.”
The judge handed Johnson a three-month prison sentence which was suspended for a year. He also fined him £250 and ordered him to pay £85 towards court costs.
Brighton Organisations and Leading Figures Launch Unity Statement Ahead of Far Right March
People of Brighton should show unity against a racist march according to leading local politicians, unions and other individuals and group who are supporting a Unity Statement, that is now online for members of the public to sign.
Supporters include Brighton Trades Council, the Brighton University branch of the UCU union, Brighton and Hove NUT, University of Sussex Students Union, Brighton Unite Against Fascism, Brighton Love Music Hate Racism, and Sussex Labour Representation Committee. Individuals who are supporting it include Caroline Lucas MP, and ten Green and Labour members of the council; as well as Simon Burgess, the former Labour leader of the council, James Ledward, the editor of Gscene magazine and Itch, the lead singer of the band King Blues, who is a Brighton Resident.
The March for England march, organised by members and supporters of the racist organisation the English Defence League, has met growing opposition when it has attempted to parade through Brighton in the past few years. It has stated it will return in April 2013.
The march’s opponents are now calling on residents of the city to add their support for the statement which concludes by saying: “In Brighton we all stand together. And when someone tries to threaten our community we must stand together even more firmly.”
The full statement can be read at brightonuaf.org, where there is also a link to sign it.
Roland Ravenhill of Brighton Love Music Hate Racism said: “The diversity and unity of Brighton is something worth supporting, and racist marches do not sit well here. We encourage people to read and sign the statement.”
A racist teenager who directed a foul-mouthed tirade of abuse at a Paisley shopkeeper has been fined after admitting the offence in court.
Chelsea Lambie, who was just 16 at the time, claimed she was offended when challenged over her conduct at the Keystore shop, in Glenburn Road, on August 6 last year.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard that, when shop manager Shafqat Mahmood followed her and a companion into the street to talk to them, “the red mist descended” as he placed his hand on her. Drunken Lambie, of Fereneze Drive, Glenburn, then launched foul verbal abuse as she called Mr Mahmood a “Paki b*****d” and told him to “go back to his own country”.
When the startled shopkeeper went back inside, Lambie followed him and continued to hurl abuse his way. She also pushed Mr Mahmood and warned him he would get his throat cut.
Even when Mr Mahmood threatened to call the police, Lambie paid no heed as she called him a “black b*****d”, lashed out at him and tried to kick him. She also pushed a National Lottery machine from the counter, causing it to crash to the floor, before fleeing.
Jak Beasley, Dean Spence and Christopher Caswell
Three men linked to a right-wing pressure group have had their convictions quashed for racially aggravated public disorder. The trio’s fines were also slashed for behaviour described by a Teesside judge as obnoxious, unnerving, disgraceful, drunken, anti-social and inconsiderate.
They were among six men, all associated with the English Defence League (EDL), convicted by Teesside magistrates of racially or religiously aggravated disorder last August. It was alleged the men sang a highly inflammatory religious chant at Middlesbrough railway station.
Jak Beasley, 23, Christopher Caswell, 32, and Dean Spence, 23, appealed against the conviction at Teesside Crown Court yesterday. This appeal was not opposed by the prosecution as a crucial witness had since emigrated to New Zealand.
The men accepted they committed a lesser disorder offence without the racial element, and appealed against fines imposed by magistrates.
Six men have been charged with violent disorder after anti-fascist campaigners held a fundraising event in Liverpool city centre. The men, aged between 17 and 52, are all believed to belong to the North West Infidels, an extreme far-right group.
Among those charged is Shane Calvert, 31, from Blackburn – known as “the diddyman” in nationalist circles and thought to be the Infidels’ second-in-command. The other men set to appear in court are: Peter Hawley, from Blackburn, Lancashire; Liam Pinkham from Wallasey, Merseyside; Nathan Smith of Huyton, Liverpool; Michael Kearns from Liverpool, and a 17-year-old boy also from Liverpool, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
All are charged with violent disorder and are due before Liverpool magistrates court on 7 February.
Hazel Zebulon and Drew Hunter of the Exposing Racism and Intolerance Online Facebook group have been compiling and regularly updating a list of EDL members charged with criminal offences. The latest version can be consulted here.
A Thatcham man was today (Weds) sentenced to three months’ imprisonment after admitting to one count of racially aggravated harassment and a section 4 public order offence at Reading Magistrates’ Court.
Rory Rowbottom, aged 21 of Poffley Place, pleaded guilty to the offences in connection with an incident in Newbury in October where a pig’s head was discovered outside a mosque in Pound Street (pictured).
The English Defence League (EDL), an extremist far-right pressure group, has announced that they are planning a march in Cambridge. The anti-Islamic group will gather on the 23rd February, following their controversial march in July 2011.
In response, the Cambridge branch of Unite Against Fascism (CUAF), a national anti-fascist campaigning organisation, has called for a “massive” counter march.
Plymouth based racist Hayley Wells pleaded guilty to racial and religiously aggravated assault at Plymouth Crown Court this morning.
The offences took place in August 2010 after an English Defence League meet and greet turned into drunken violence and a takeaway restaurant was attacked. Staff had to lock the group out after threats were made, abuse shouted and glass and bottles were thrown around the shop which at the time had in it an eight week old baby and a 14 year old child.