EDL man convicted of abusive behaviour

A Gainsborough man charged with racially aggravated behaviour was found guilty following a two-day trial.

Daniel Odling denied committing racially aggravated harassment against a group of muslims in Lincoln in July last year where an off-duty police officer was assaulted.

The 26-year-old father from High Street, Blyton near Gainsborough, was on trial with a 17-year-old man from Market Rasen who cannot be named for legal reasons. Both were accused of religiously aggravated behaviour at the Grandstand on Carholme Road, Lincoln, where 30 to 40 Muslims gathered to discuss the building of a mosque, on the evening of 9th July 2010.

Odling told the court that he was under great stress and pressure at the time of the incident because of his son’s medical condition – Congenital Melanocytic Neavi (CMN) – and due to having split up with his partner at the time.

The court heard that while Odling denied harbouring any anti-Muslim sentiments or being a member of the English Defence League, the 17-year-old also on trial was a former member of the EDL. The 17-year-old was accused of assaulting off-duty police officer PC Chothia when the policeman asked him to leave after the meeting when a dispute erupted. He claimed he was only there to voice his concerns of traffic problems that the mosque may cause.

Witness Ahmed Basheer, MBE, told Lincoln Magistrates Court about how the group became ‘agressive’ and started saying the F word and anti-Muslim slurs when they were asked to leave the private meeting.

“There was some disturbance,” he said. “They left the hall and that’s when I got quite upset and scared because of all of the noise and commotion. One of them said ‘we support the EDL’. I feel sad because I have been living here since 1974 and I’ve never had that feeling of looking over your shoulder but now sometimes I do.”

Odling said that he drove a group to the Grandstand under the belief that they were going to pick up drugs for a party and claims that he was unaware of the meeting about the mosque. The court heard about how when driving away from the scene, abuse was shouted from the window of Odling’s car before he stepped out to square up to a muslim from the meeting.

“We went to drive off when someone shouted something into the car,” Odling told the court. “I didn’t like what he said and I was pretty wound up and aggressive towards him. I remember saying ‘come on then’ when the man said ‘you think you’re big behind the steering wheel. He was being held back.”

However, Deborah Carwright prosecuting said: “What you’re saying is palpable rubbish and you knew what you were getting into on that day.”

She called it a ‘pre-meditated and calculated attempt to cause harassment and distress.’

Mrs Cartwright from the Crown Prosecution Service condemned the actions of the two men.

“This type of offending is very serious,” she said, following the trial. “It can have real and lasting effects on individuals, communities and indeed, the whole of society. Religious crime is particularly hurtful to victims as they are being targeted solely because of their personal belief or faith.”

She continued: “The confusion, fear and lack of safety felt by individuals can have a ripple effect in the wider community. Communities can feel victimised and vulnerable to further attack. It is for these reasons that we do and will robustly prosecute cases such as this.”

When finding him guilty, the magistrates said that Odling’s evidence was ‘vague, inconsistent and not credible’ and believed he was ‘generally threatening and abusive throughout the incident.’ Odling was fined £450, ordered to pay £500 costs and the £15 victims’ surcharge while the youth was released on bail until he must appear before the Youth Court for sentencing on 26th May.

Gainsborough Standard

Football fan banned after hurling abuse at Muslims

A self-proclaimed "right- wing extremist" has been given a football banning order for making Nazi salutes and shouting a torrent of racist abuse at Muslim cub scouts after a Bristol Rovers match.

A court heard Martyn Howlett was walking down Muller Road in Horfield after watching Rovers play Norwich City with his family and friends when he made his shocking outburst. Bristol Magistrates' Court was told that the 43-year-old gestured at a British National Party badge he was wearing as he abused a group of Asian children having a picnic outside the 1st Bristol Muslim Scout group's headquarters.

Waving his arms in a Nazi salute and pointing to his badge, he shouted: "It's BNP, racist, fascism and Hitler", before launching into a foul-mouthed tirade in front of the frightened children. The court heard he then directed abuse at a young girl wearing a head scarf.

Prosecuting, Michael Hartnell said: "He was making hand gestures towards the children, and said they were out to blow something up. The children were scared and extremely concerned for their safety."

When asked what was wrong by Scout leader Sohail Javaid, Howlett repeatedly said: "This is our country, get out."

After police arrived, he said: "What is wrong with doing this? I am a right-wing extremist and I hate blacks."

The court heard Howlett, whose father Colin was the voice of Bristol Rovers on Radio Bristol for almost 30 years, had drunk about four-and-a-half pints of beer before the incident on May 1. On May 24 he was given a two-year conditional discharge after pleading guilty to committing racially aggravated disorderly behaviour.

Mr Hartnell told the court that Howlett, a Bristol Rovers season ticket holder for 37 years, had received a caution in 2008 for similar behaviour. Howlett, 43, who lives in Muller Road, Eastville, defended himself in court.

Magistrates gave Howlett a three-year football ban, which prohibits him from entering an area 750m around the Memorial Stadium on Rovers match days for three hours before kick-off and two hours afterwards. He is also banned from going to any football match in England or Wales, must surrender his passport to police before England away games, and not to travel to any towns or cities where Bristol Rovers or England are playing.

Bristol Evening Post

BNP member pleads guilty to making Nazi salute in Codnor

A BNP member has been fined for giving a Nazi salute during clashes with protesters marching against the party's annual Red, White and Blue festival. John Jones was one of a small group who argued with anti-fascist campaigners as they moved along Codnor-Denby Lane, Denby. Police told Jones, 66, to leave the scene but as he did so he made the gesture.

The three-day Red, White and Blue festival was held on fields off Codnor-Denby Lane for the third consecutive year last month. About 1,000 left-wing activists were involved in the march on August 15, at the time when the argument broke out.

Yesterday Jones, of Curtis Road, Epsom, appeared at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court. He pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour which was racially aggravated. Fernando Rodrigues, prosecuting, said the group including Jones had been walking along the road when police told them to move into a field, as the protesters approached. A police cordon was formed and, as the march went past, the two groups exchanged words.

Mr Rodrigues said: "The offender raised his arm in the air in what was described as a Nazi salute. During his police interview, he stated he had come to Derbyshire from London the previous day to attend the festival. He (Jones) openly stated he was a member of the BNP and showed his membership card."

Jones, who was not represented, told the court that he was threatened with words such as "Kill the BNP" and pelted with fruit. Speaking after the hearing, Jones said he had been a party member for about 20 years but had been unable to go to the festival because of his arrest. Jones was fined £71, with £60 costs and a £15 Government surcharge. Presiding magistrate Anthony Stanley said the salute was a "serious offence". However, Kirit Mistry, executive director of Derby Racial Equality Council, which was involved in organising the protest, said the fine was not enough.

He said: "He should also have been told to complete a cultural awareness programme as part of his punishment."

BNP spokesman Simon Darby said Jones would face a disciplinary hearing to decide his future with the party. Two other men, Saville Davies, 25, of Hollywell Avenue, Codnor, and a 17-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, pleaded not guilty to the same charge as Jones. They will appear for trial in December.

This is Derbyshire