Neath mosque attack: Steven Davies jailed for 22 months

Steven DaviesA man has been jailed for 22 months for vandalising a south Wales mosque and attacking a couple who challenged him.

Steven Davies, 22 and from Neath, smashed four windows at the St Anne’s Islamic centre, Tonna, and then head butted, kicked and stamped on the woman and punched her husband. Davies admitted religiously aggravated criminal damage and assault.

The Swansea Crown Court judge said Davies “acted quite disgracefully” and racial aggravation was “very serious”.

The court heard Davies carried out the late night attack on the mosque on Friday 13 September last year.

James Jenkins, prosecuting, said caretaker Mohammed Islam was inside the mosque checking the premises as he had been doing more regularly following a number of assaults. The caretaker heard stones being thrown and called the police, who told him to stay inside, Mr Jenkins said.

A neighbour watching television in his bedroom heard windows being smashed and then looked out to see someone attacking first one window of the mosque, and then another. Mr Jenkins said when the man saw someone trying to barge into the building he called the police.

The noise woke another resident, Kevin Thomas, and his wife Melanie who asked Davies if he was all right. The defendant turned and ran towards Mrs Thomas and began assaulting her, after first accusing her of being part of the Muslim community, Mr Jenkins said.

Continue reading

Police investigate criminal damage at a Neath mosque

Tonna Mosque vandalismFour windows have been smashed overnight at a mosque in a village near Neath, leaving broken glass along a busy walkway. The religious building, at St Anne’s Terrace, Tonna, was damaged in the early hours of this morning.

Police have been on the scene in the village throughout the morning, questioning neighbours and passers by. A spokesman for South Wales Police confirmed officers were investigating a criminal damage incident at the site, which occurred at 1.10am. “Enquires are ongoing at this time,” said a spokesman.

Anyone with any information regarding the incident is asked to contact South Wales Police on 101 quoting incident number 103 of 10 August 2013.

South Wales Evening Post, 10 August 2013

Continue reading

Hate crimes more than doubled in South Wales after Lee Rigby’s death

The number of race hate crimes reported in South Wales more than doubled in aftermath of the death of Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich, we can reveal. In the two weeks after the 25-year-old soldier died in May, South Wales Police recorded 60 racially aggravated hate crimes and 108 racially aggravated incidents. This compares to 26 racially aggravated hate crimes and 52 racially aggravated hate incidents logged by officers in the same fortnight last year. Hate incidents are defined by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) as any incident that is “perceived by the victim” to be racist.

Continue reading

Gwent police step up patrols around mosques

Newport cemetery graffiti(3)A senior Newport officer said police have been organising patrols for mosques in light of threats elsewhere in the country. The city’s Superintendent Mark Warrender said a recent attack on four Muslim graves in a Newport cemetery was despicable and that officers were working hard to find out who did it.

He spoke at a meeting of Newport full council in response to a question from Labour Victoria ward councillor Majid Rahman who asked what precautions were being made in relation to mosques in Newport.

Continue reading

Newport rally held to denounce violence

Newport cemetery graffiti(1)A rally was held in Newport on Monday night to unite groups from across Gwent against fascism. Around 40 people attended the event, which was held at the Newport Centre. Unite Against Fascism Wales called the rally to bring together different groups, communities, cultures, and faiths to show they are united against racism.

Speakers included organisers Mubarak Ali, secretary for the Islamic Society for Wales, June Ralph, president of Newport trades council, David Phillips, chief executive officer for South East Wales Race Equality Council, Marianne Owens, NEC member and Julian Goss, liaison officer for UAF Wales.

Continue reading

Thug jailed for attack on Asian taxi driver he blamed for Lee Rigby murder

A golfer who carried out a racially aggravated attack on an Asian taxi driver after wrongly linking him to the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby was jailed for seven months.

Drunk Kevin Dunne, 57, was on a golfing holiday with friends when the attack on Shabir Ahmed happened after the driver dropped them at Newport’s five-star Celtic Manor Resort around 12.15am on May 26.

Newport Crown Court heard Dunne said: “You know what happened last week in London? It was one of your brothers who done it. Where are you from?”

Mr Ahmed ignored the comment and asked for his £12 fare but Dunne gave him a handful of change and a 20 pence tip, saying: “That’s all you’re having. **** off out of here, you ******* Paki.”

Dunne then head butted him and punched him twice in the face, which loosened a tooth.

Continue reading

Sharia patrols stalk the streets of Llandudno

Llandudno postcardWhen I was a kid back in the 1950s our family regularly took our summer holidays in the North Wales resort of Llandudno, and over half a century later I still have pleasant memories of playing on the beach there. So imagine my shock at the revelation that this picturesque seaside town is about to succumb to the apparently inexorable process of Islamification that is sweeping the UK. Is nowhere safe from the Muslim hordes?

Continue reading

Newport police probing Muslim grave daubing ‘confident’

Newport cemetery graffiti(4)Police investigating racist graffiti on Muslim graves in Newport are pursuing a number of leads and the officer in charge of the case is positive the culprits will be caught.

Members of Newport’s Muslim community joined police officers and councillors at Christchurch Cemetery yesterday.

Vandals used white paint to write “Lee Rigby murder,” “white power” and drew swastikas on four gravestones at the weekend. Initials of the British National Party (BNP), the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and the National Front (NF) were also smeared, as well as racist slogans.

Continue reading