Teenager admits sickening mosque attack

A teenager shouted racial abuse as he kicked and stamped on a 71-year-old grandfather’s head for 10 minutes. And he later sent a sickening text boasting about his horrifying actions.

At Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Monday, the 16-year-old – who cannot be named for legal reasons – pleaded guilty to carrying out the vicious attack outside the Ayrshire Central Mosque in July. His victim, who had already suffered a stroke, sustained severe facial injuries in the unprovoked attack which took place in the early hours of the morning.

Nancy Beresford, prosecuting, said that the former Crosshouse shopkeeper had gone to the mosque, in Hill Street, Kilmarnock, to prepare for Friday prayers at around 1.40am. As he approached the door, clad in white robes, he noticed a male and two females, along with young children, standing in the street, with another group of females nearby.

The 16-year-old then came towards him shouting abuse, including “Paki bastard”. He punched the pensioner in the chest, causing him to fall to the ground. The teenager continued the assault, while still shouting abuse.

Said Mrs Beresford: “He became unconscious as a result of the attack. He was not aware of anything further until he woke up later in hospital.”

The assault was, however, witnessed, by two people watching from a flat in Hill Street.

“Their attention was attracted by shouting,” said Mrs Beresford. “They saw a figure lying on the ground and noticed the male attacker was kicking and stamping on the prostrate man’s head. This continued for what they thought was about 10 minutes.”

The attacker ran off into Witch Road.

The assault victim – described as a pillar of the community and well-known in the Kilmarnock area for 40 years by the chairman of the mosque – was found lying in a pool of blood by two other members of the mosque. He was taken by ambulance to Crosshouse Hospital. He was found to have a number of severe facial fractures and swelling. Fortunately, however, he had no fractures to his skull.

Mrs Beresford said that, as a result of media reports, police received a number of anonymous calls naming the attacker. CCTV evidence also established that he had been in the area at the time of the assault. And footage from cameras at the Diageo plant in Hill Street showed a male matching his description walking towards the mosque with two girls.

Mrs Beresford said that police were able to identify and trace one of the females. She named the accused.

Said Mrs Beresford: “She described him punching him, knocking him to the ground and kicking and stamping on him several times. A further witness had received a text message from him in the early hours stating: ‘I have just left a Paki in a puddle of blood’.”

Police swooped on the teenager’s home where they failed to find him, but seized a number of items. He was later discovered hiding in the loft of a Kilmarnock house. Interviewed, he denied the assault and racial abuse.

The 16-year-old told police that he couldn’t understand “why somebody was praying at that time in the morning”.

Allan Kerr, defending, told Sheriff Iona McDonald that she would require to obtain reports before sentencing the teenager as he was 16 and subject to the supervision of the Children’s Panel.

“He is presently at a place of safety,” said the solicitor.

Sheriff McDonald deferred sentence until next month for a social work report and the advice of the Children’s Panel. She told the teen: “You have pleaded guilty to a serious assault. It is nothing short of appalling.”

Kilmarnock Standard

Thanks to Zaahid for the heads-up

BNP man sentenced after shoving two women at East Croydon station

A BNP thug who ran for council has been given a year's community service for assaulting two female pacifist campaigners.

David Clarke, who got 518 votes when he stood in Heathfield for this year's local elections, was sentenced on four counts of assaulting anti-racism campaigners. Clarke, of Dunley Drive, New Addington, pushed and shoved Lorna Nelson-Homian, James Cox, Nigel Green and Silvia Beckett in two separate attacks last May outside East Croydon train station.

Croydon Magistrates' Court handed the 41-year-old a 12-month community order last week and ordered him to pay costs of £650. Clarke denied attacking the Hope Not Hate campaigners but was found guilty on April 30.

Giving evidence in relation to the first incident on May 27, campaigner Nigel Green said: "I saw him [Clarke] walking towards me. He was walking right towards me and I could see there would be problems. I decided to stop and put the leaflets behind my back. But he gestured for me to give him a leaflet and he basically snatched them out of my hand. They were thrown down on the street and that was quite a shock to me. Then he sort of pushed me and grabbed my arm and twirled me around. I was very shaken because I had done nothing to provoke him."

Prosecutor Daniel Irving told the court how after the first assault Clarke left, only to return to repeatedly shove Ms Beckett to get to Mr Green. The court heard Clarke almost knocked the woman off her feet.

Mr Irving told the court that when Clarke spotted other Hope Not Hate campaigners two days later he screamed at them: "F****** scumbags, filth on our streets, taking all our jobs."

Then Clarke again snatched leaflets, threw them on the floor and shoved Ms Nelson-Homian and Mr Cox.

This is Croydon Today

BNP candidate spat at, pushed and screamed at anti-racist campaigners

A BNP thug – and potential councillor – has been convicted of assaulting two female pacifist protesters just days before the local elections.

David Clarke, who hopes to win a seat in the Heathfield ward, was also found guilty at Croydon Magistrates' Court of two other attacks on anti-racism campaigners. Clarke pushed, shoved and spat at Lorna Nelson-Homian, James Cox, Nigel Green and Silvia Beckett in two separate attacks last May outside East Croydon train station.

Giving evidence on Wednesday in relation to the first incident on May 27, Hope Not Hate campaigner Nigel Green said: "I saw him [Clarke] walking towards me. He was walking right towards me and I could see there would be problems. I decided to stop and put the leaflets behind my back. But he gestured for me to give him a leaflet and he basically snatched them out of my hand. They were thrown down on the street and that was quite a shock to me. Then he sort of pushed me and grabbed my arm and twirled me around. I was very shaken because I had done nothing to provoke him."

Prosecutor Daniel Irving told the court how after the first assault Clarke left only to return to repeatedly shove Ms Beckett to get to Mr Green. The court heard Clarke almost knocked the woman off her feet. Mr Irving told the court that when Clarke spotted other Hope Not Hate campaigners two days later he screamed at them: "F****** scumbags, filth on our streets, taking all our jobs."

Then Clarke again snatched leaflets, threw them on the floor and shoved Ms Nelson-Homian and Mr Cox.

Chloe-Jane Belton, defending, told the court it was the victims who assaulted the BNP council candidate and spat at him. But magistrates rejected this version of events and chair of the bench Mike Watkinson ordered reports to be prepared before his sentencing on May 17. Clarke – who was flanked by eight British National Party members in the courtroom – nodded his head in disgust as the verdict was read out.

Speaking after the verdict, Ms Nelson-Homian said: "This has gone to show that their veil of credibility has come down. The BNP always resort to their thuggish violent roots."

Speaking to the Advertiser, Clarke confirmed he would still be standing at the elections next Thursday.

Croydon Today

Croydon BNP election candidate guilty of attacking four anti-fascist protesters

A British National Party election candidate for Croydon Council has been found guilty of attacking four anti-fascist protesters

David Clarke [pictured, left, grinning on his way into court] of Dunley Drive, New Addington, was found guilty of four counts of assaulting protesters outside of East Croydon station on May 27 and May 29 last year. Mr Clarke is currently running for election as a councillor for Heathfield Ward.

Croydon Magistrates Court heard the first incident occurred at 6.50pm on May 27 as anti-fascist protesters were handing out leaflets in an attempt to try and dissuade people from supporting the BNP at the station. Two days later on May 29 he is accused of assaulting another two protesters, James Cox and his partner, Lorna Nelson-Homian.

Clarke will be sentenced on May 18.

Lorna Nelson-Homian, one of Clarke's four victims, said: "I think the verdict today shows that the BNP's veil of credibility has once again fallen down. BNP policies are racist, and this case shows they always resort back to their violent roots."

Croydon Guardian

BNP man jailed for attack on woman

The Wakefield Express reported today that a Mapplewell man has been sent to prison for attacking his ex-partner. What was not mentioned in both the newspaper and the courtroom was that the convicted man was none other than John Aveyard, former organiser of the BNP's Wakefield branch.

Aveyard, who has stood for the BNP in the general and European elections and has also been a BNP council election candidate on three occasions including last year when he stood in Wakefield South, was sent to prison for 22 weeks for assault and harassment. This is not the first time Aveyard has had a brush with the law. In 2005 he received a £100 fine with £75 costs for failing to maintain proper records at his Wakefield taxi firm, which is a condition of his private hire licence. You can read full details about his latest conviction in the following article taken from the Wakefield Express.

Kirklees Unity

Jailed for attack on ex-partner

A man who sneaked into his ex partner's car, attacked her and said he was going to 'do her in' has been jailed. John Aveyard opened the passenger door of Jane Skeet’s car and climbed in city magistrates were told. Prosecutor Joseph Spencer said "She asked what he was doing, and he grabbed her by the hair and punched her in the face".

He grabbed her mobile phone, told her he was going to drive her away and 'do her in' Aveyard punched her repeatedly, trapped her in the footwell and got into the drivers seat, but Ms Skeet managed to escape.

The police officer investigating said in six years of service, he had never seen anybody as frightened or as upset as Ms Skeet. Aveyard was on bail for harassment when be attacked Ms Skeet on October 17. He had been harassing her for months, turning up at her home in the middle of the night and confronting her new partner before the attack. They had been together for 12 years and lived in Woolley before they split in April last year. Ms Skeet moved out and began a new relationship with Ian Tippett.

The court heard Aveyard, 47. had been stalking Ms Skeet and making threatening phone calls. He turned up at Ms Skeet's partner’s home in York, demanding to speak to her. Ms Skeet reported it to police the next day and Aveyard called her as she spoke to an officer.

Mr Spencer said: "The police officer heard the defendant admitting turning up to the address in York. He stated 'There are lots of ways to find out where someone lives, it's not difficult,'"

Police found an envelope at Aveyard's house with Mr Tippen's car registration number written on it and diary entries about the couple. Matthew Standbury. mitigating, said Aveyard had admitted the offences at the earliest opportunity.

Aveyard, of Towngate, Mapplewell, was jailed for 22 weeks for assault and 11 'weeks concurrent for harassment. A restraining order was made banning him from contacting Ms Skeet and Mr Tippett.

Wakefield Express

BNP councillor David Enderby loses appeal against violent assaults

Redditch British National Party councillor David Enderby has lost his appeal against criminal convictions for assaulting his estranged wife and mother-in-law.

Enderby lashed out after flying into a rage and barging into a family birthday celebration. During the melée, he grabbed his wife, Jane, and his mother-in-law, Noel Campion, causing bruising, as children at the party screamed and cried. Enderby also picked up a 14-year-old girl and flung her across the living room.

After he was manhandled outside, he drove off but was later arrested by police and spent the night in the cells before being charged.

Enderby, aged 46, of Winyates East, pleaded not guilty to the three assaults when he appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates Court in January but was convicted and fined £300 with £100 costs. But he appealed against the convictions and a two-day hearing was held at Worcester Crown Court, ending on Friday. All three appeals were dismissed and he was ordered to pay £200 towards the Crown's costs.

Judge Daniel Pearce-Higgins QC said: "What should have been a happy event turned into a disaster."

The appeal hearing was told that Enderby and his wife had split up in January 2004 and she had gone to live with her mother and stepfather in Greenlands. She had taken their three children with her.

Divorce proceedings have been started. In the original divorce petition, Mrs Enderby said her husband had been violent towards her during the marriage, a claim Enderby disputed.

The assaults took place in June last year after Enderby had gone by arrangement to the extended family's home to deliver birthday presents. But, according to John Brotherton, barrister for the Crown, he flew into a rage when he walked into the house uninvited and was told by his estranged wife and mother-in-law to leave.

Enderby then barged into the living room to retrieve the presents he had taken, which is when the assaults took place, the court heard. In evidence, former soldier Enderby, who was elected to the council less than two months before the incident, claimed he never assaulted anyone and that he himself had been the victim of assault.

Enderby said he had been held so tightly round the throat he was unable to speak afterwards. He added he had been trying to get out of the house when he was manhandled and had not been attempting to resist.

Redditch Advertiser

Anti-fascism Around The Country

Anti-fascists around the country have started campaigning against the threat posed by the British National Party (BNP) at the elections on 3 May.

Activists in the Yorkshire and Humberside region of Unite Against Fascism went leafleting last weekend in Leeds, Barnsley, York and Scarborough calling on people to use their votes against the Nazi BNP.

In the West Midlands, Unite leafleters, including Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors, covered Redditch’s Winyates ward. The BNP’s David Enderby gained a council seat there last year – but has since been convicted of assaulting his wife.

Unite campaigners in Luton will blitz the Farley Estate with anti-BNP leaflets this Saturday. Luton Unite is calling on people to assemble at 10.30am at the Farley Community Centre on Delphine Way.

Meanwhile Love Music Hate Racism (LMHR) has kicked off a national tour of universities to build support for the movement against the Nazis.

Full details of the tour are available at http://www.lovemusichateracism.com/

LMHR has also teamed up with the NUT and NASUWT teaching unions to launch a range of anti-fascist educational material for schools. This includes a CD compiled by Drew McConnell of Babyshambles which will be distributed free to schools across Britain.

Activists in the GMB trade union in Barking & Dagenham, east London, turned out last Saturday to campaign against the BNP in nearby Thurrock, Essex, as part of the Daily Mirror’s “Hope Not Hate” tour.

Tom Baillie, branch secretary of Barking GMB, told Socialist Worker, “The majority of people in this borough reject the fascist politics of the BNP – and we’re out to show that.”

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=11036

Socialist Worker