BNP man's election clash

A BNP supporter arrested after an election day clash with police was exercising his political rights, a court was told.

Father-of-two Shaun Jones, 27, claimed he had earlier been told by two officers he was free to stand by the side of the road at Penparcau, wave a BNP pamphlet and shout support for the far-right party - provided he was more than 30 yards from the village polling station.

But he was later approached by a police community support officer, told repeatedly to move on and was eventually arrested by police for an alleged public order offence.

Jones admitted arguing with the community support officer, but denied threatening behaviour, and was acquitted. Prosecuting, Lesley Harbon said Jones had been aggressive. Sergeant Huw Jones said Jones was agitated and sweating, and he ordered his arrest on the basis of what he had been told about Jones’ behaviour towards the support officer, Russell Farley.

But defence solicitor Colin Taylor told Aberystwyth magistrates:

“There is nothing to suggest he was doing anything untoward 30 yards down the road. He was exercising his political rights, and God forbid we reach the day when we’re hassled by the police for doing that. There’s nothing to stop Mr Jones standing on the side of the road canvassing for the BNP 24 hours a day, providing he doesn’t commit a public order offence. Being angry and being upset in this country is not a public order offence.”

Jones, of 102 Heol Tynyfron, Penparcau, also denied threatening behaviour towards an election official during an earlier incident, but was found guilty.

He said he had been impressed by the BNP’s election leaflet and had decided to vote for the first time. But at the polling-station at Penparcau’s Neuadd Goffa he was told he was not registered, so could not vote.

He told the court:

“I was angry at the whole situation, but not at anyone in particular.”

But Lesley Harbon, prosecuting, said Jones “ranted and raved” at election officials, waving a piece of wood to which he had attached the BNP leaflet, brandishing it in people’s faces, and as a result putting other people off voting.

Rachel Davies, the polling-station’s presiding officer at the 3 May Assembly election, said:

“Jones wasn’t on the electoral register. He became quite agitated, saying I wasn’t allowing him to vote. He had a stick in his hand and was waving it. He was raising his voice. We constantly repeated to him the process and that unfortunately I couldn’t help him. At the second or third time of asking, he did leave the voting area. I was getting a bit concerned about my own safety.”

Cross-examined, she added:

“He started raising his voice, saying we were stopping the BNP having any votes, and said he was going to report me to the police for not allowing him to vote. There was a lot of swearing going on.”

Officials gave Jones the number of the electoral registration officer in Aberaeron in an effort to resolve the problem, the court heard, and a policeman at the polling-station let him use his telephone. Jones said he later left the Neuadd Goffa and stood by the side of the road holding up the BNP leaflet and urging passers-by to vote for the party.

Aberysrwyth Today