EDL founder Stephen Lennon 'led fans' in fight in Luton

The founder of the English Defence League led a group of football fans into a street fight, a court has heard.

Stephen Lennon, 28, led Luton Town supporters and chanted "EDL" as they clashed with Newport County fans in Luton, it was alleged.

Luton Magistrates' Court heard that Lennon, of Luton, was "egging on" and "upping the ante" as the two sets of fans fought on 24 August last year.

Lennon denies using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour.

The court was told he had been at the front of the group of Luton Town fans and gesticulated "come on then" at his opponents.

The case continues.

BBC News

EDL thug may be allowed to continue studies at University of Birmingham

An English Defence League thug jailed for his part in a soccer riot could still be allowed to take up a place at a Midland university

A-level student Joel Titus, 18, was caught on CCTV throwing objects and brawling with rival hooligans. His defence team asked an Old Bailey judge not to jail the EDL ringleader after he pleaded guilty to affray, as he had secured a place at the University of Birmingham. But Titus, who has a string of previous convictions including battery of a journalist, possession of a knife, and making threats to police, was sentenced to nine months.

Yet the teenager has NOT been banned from taking up his place at the University of Birmingham upon his release. A spokeswoman said: “We do not want to deny an applicant a place because of youthful indiscretions, especially when there is genuine remorse expressed. However, we must take into account our wider responsibilities to the whole student body and to the wider community.

‘‘Criminal convictions, which must be declared by prospective students, are considered on a case by case basis. These discussions may also involve an applicant’s probation officer where relevant. We do not discuss individual cases.”

Titus had acted as a youth organiser for the EDL and even appeared on the BBC’s Newsnight to defend the violent anti-Islamic group.

He was cautioned for battery after punching a journalist at a demonstration against the ‘Islamification of Europe’ in December 2009. Last summer Titus took part in the soccer riot between Brentford and Leyton Orient supporters in central London. He was captured on CCTV hurling objects at rivals and fighting over a wooden pole with another thug.

Titus later told police he was an Arsenal fan and had been out that night celebrating the end of the football season, when he had become involved in the brawl.

At his sentencing Veronica Ramsden, defending, said he had “done well academically”. She said he was studying for A-levels including media studies, aiming for an A-grade, and that he planned to go on to Birmingham University to pursue a degree. Miss Ramsden said Titus was “heartily sorry” to have been involved in the violence. But while on bail for the football brawl he was also convicted for threatening behaviour for snarling “f*** off” at a police officer who tried to break up a fight. He is due to be sentenced for that offence at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court in May.

The EDL has held violent protests on the streets of Midland towns and cities including Birmingham, Stoke and Dudley over the past two years. The anti-Islamic group has been involved in running battles with anti-facist protesters and local Muslim groups.

An EDL protest in Leicester in February was policed by more than a thousand riot cops.

Sunday Mercury

Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up

English Defence League member jailed for football fight

A prominent member of the English Defence League has been jailed for nine months for taking part in a pre-arranged “pitched battle” between football hooligans.
Joel Titus, 19, took part in the bloody brawl between Brentford and Leyton Orient supporters outside Liverpool Street station in central London in May last year.

The A-level student was captured on CCTV hurling objects at rivals and fighting over a wooden pole with another thug.

Titus had previously been cautioned for battery after punching a journalist at a right-wing demonstration against the “Islamification of Europe” in December 2009, the Old Bailey heard.

Earlier this year he was found guilty of threatening behaviour after swearing at a police officer who tried to break up a fight.

He is reported to be a youth organiser for the EDL and has appeared on the BBC Newsnight programme talking about his role in protests.

Titus, of North View, Pinner, north-west London, appeared in court alongside five other men, all of whom admitted a charge of affray at earlier hearings.

Dean Wells, 22, of Isleworth, west London, was jailed for 12 months while David Mitchell, 19, of Littlehampton, West Sussex, was given seven months and Andrew Hudson, 26, of Hornchurch, Essex, received an eight-month sentence.

Steven Donovan, 20, of Hayes, Middlesex, and Thomas Armstrong, 24, of Woodford Green, Essex, were each given suspended six-month sentences.

Judge Timothy Pontius said the men had taken part in a “disgraceful display of violence” that terrified ordinary people using a busy railway station and put them at risk of harm from bottles thrown across the street.

He said the “pitched battle” must have been a “frightening spectacle” that required a “firm deterrent message” from the court.

London 24

Disturbance after ex-Burnley BNP councillor's funeral

Police were called after reports that mourners were hurling objects off a Burnley bridge following the funeral of a former BNP councillor.

Officers arrived at the Yorkshire Street bridge at 9pm on Tuesday after being told around 40 youths were causing a disturbance. The mourners had attended the funeral of Luke Smith, 26, of Brunshaw Road, who was found dead last week, police said. The convicted football hooligan, who was forced to resign as a councillor after continued allegations of violence, was said to have been suffering from psychological problems when he appeared in court earlier this month charged with assault.

Sgt Phil Carter, of Burnley police, said: “Police dispersed the group on Tuesday soon after arriving and no arrests were made.”

It is believed the mourners had been drinking in the Lounge pub, in nearby Higgin Street, following Mr Smith’s funeral. Yesterday a large banner was hung from a bridge in Yorkshire Street with the message “Luke Smith lives forever”.

Speaking last week, Mr Smith’s uncle, Steve Smith, who was the BNP leader in Burnley when his nephew was elected, and is now leader of the far-right England First party, said: “He was a lovely, lovely lad who, like a lot of people, was just too sensitive to exist in what is effectively an extremely cruel world. Things had gone downhill for him.”

Mr Smith was 21 when he was elected as councillor for Lanehead ward, in May 2003. But he was suspended from the BNP less than three months later, after it emerged previous football-related violence had earned him a lifetime ban from Turf Moor, and he was alleged to have been fighting at the party’s Red, White and Blue festival in Sawley in July that year.

In September 2004, after a full investigation by the Standards Board for England, he was banned for three years from becoming a member of any council across the UK.

Earlier in 2004, the former gas engineer had been given a two-and-a-half year football banning order, and he was jailed for 11 months in March 2006, after breaching the order and being involved in football-related violence in Manchester, Blackpool and Burnley. His football banning order was extended to six years.

In his latest court appearance, on July 14, he was charged with assault after an attack on the landlord of the Princess Royal – the pub near where he was found dead.

Lancashire Telegraph

Updated: Former Burnley BNP councillor Luke Smith found dead

We've just spoken to the coroner's officer in Burnley, who has confirmed the death of former BNP councillor, Luke Smith. Smith was found hanged in Burnley's Yorkshire Street at around 4pm yesterday. An inquest will open on Friday though the verdict is likely to be suicide. Smith was 26.

The last report we had of Smith's behaviour was when he suddenly reappeared from obscurity a few days ago, after being convicted of attacking a pub landlord. In the article that we reprinted, it was revealed that Smith's mental health was fast-deteriorating and the court was told that he was said to be suffering from adjustment disorder, brief reactive depression and a mental and behavioural disorder due to misuse of substances.

Smith had a long history of football-related violence behind him, and was jailed for 17 months in March 2006 after being convicted of violent disorder in relation to incidents surrounding a World Cup qualifier in October 2004 and later violence in Blackpool. He was also banned from football grounds for six years. This followed on from a two-and-a-half year football banning order, imposed for being involved in over 20 violent episodes in five years. Following his 17 month conviction, the BNP rallied around him saying that he was not a man of violence.

Smith was also one of the youngest BNP councillors, resigning his seat on the then BNP flagship Burnley council (on which they had, at the time, eight councillors) in 2003 following an incident at that year's Red, White and Blue booze-fest, when a drunken and belligerent Smith attacked then Leeds organiser Martin Reynolds (now Head of Security) with a bottle, smashing it into Reynolds' face and opening up a gash close to his left eye that required seven stitches, subsequently dealt with by Leeds Royal Infirmary. This fracas earned Smith his expulsion from the BNP and a three-year ban on holding public office by the Standards Board.