Peter Tierney guilty of actual bodily harm

Peter Tierney - yet another BNP thug

High-profile BNP member Peter Tierney has been found guilty of assault and causing actual bodily harm to an anti-fascist protester on St George’s Day last year.

During the incident, which was captured on CCTV, Tierney swung a camera tripod at the back of the activist’s head. The victim subsequently needed his head wound gluing up at hospital. The jury took just an hour to find Tierney guilty, rejecting the notion that he acted in self-defence and was “in danger for my life.”

A spokesperson for Liverpool Antifascists said: “This is absolutely a positive result. Tierney’s guilt was clear-cut, as we have seen from the CCTV footage, and it is absurd that he has been able to drag this out for so long – at unneccesary expense to the taxpayer and stress to the victim. Liverpool Antifascists have protested at every single one of Tierney’s court appearances.

“Despite the wish of the BNP that this incident be forgotten, we have refused to turn a blind eye to the violent criminality of so prominent a member in Liverpool BNP. This result vindicates our stance.”

The sentence will be announced on July 12th. Judge John Roberts, adjourning, said: “I have not made a final decision on sentencing. That would be wrong at this stage, but provisionally I am thinking of some kind of community service. To decide how I should sentence you I will need a report from probation services.”

Peter Tierney has engaged in aggression and violence during BNP activism, and in full view of his fellow members. Liverpool BNP’s support of him, and of this violent criminality, has been unwavering throughout the trial. Political violence is a characteristic of fascism, and Liverpool Antifascists are glad that the truth has come out.

Liverpool Antifascists

Victim is punched after row over BNP

A fight erupted between two men after an argument about the British National Party, Swindon Magistrates’ Court heard. Philip Owen, 42, from Albion Street in the town centre, pleaded guilty to hitting Sean Enwright at a Swindon working men’s club on June 6 last year.

 The actual bodily harm charge came about after Owen had been talking about the BNP to his friends when he asked Mr Enwright, a former military man, if he would join the group. He did not like the content of the conversation so Mr Enwright, 59, said the Second World War was meant to stop people behaving in the way Owen was acting.

 Owen saw red, saying “I’m going to hurt you,” before attacking him. Mr Enwright suffered a cut to his left ear and was unable to remember how he got to the Great Western Hospital when he regained consciousness.

 Owen, who has a history of ABH incidents on his record stretching back to 1983, did not make any comment to police during his first interview. But he later pleaded guilty to the charge.

 “You hit him and he is a lot older than you,” said Judge Simon Cooper. “You were fired up and shouldn’t have allowed yourself to punch him. But there were no serious injuries and there has been no record of violence for 15 years. I believe this was an isolated incident.”

 CCTV footage captured the incident unfolding, although the judge said viewing the tape would not expand on the facts of the case.

 Owen apologised for the incident and for wasting the courts’ time. He was given a 12-month community order, which will be supervised for the first nine months, in a conflict resolution programme. He also will carry out 100 hours of community service in unpaid work. Owen was ordered to pay £200 in compensation for the injury and suffering to Mr Enwright and £60 court costs. It will be paid in two instalments over the next two months.

Swindon Advertiser

‘BNP man’ racially abused officer

A Morden man, alleged to be a member of the British National Party, has been convicted of screaming racist abuse at a police officer after being arrested for his part in a drunken fight.

Jamie Sedgewick, 40, of Wolsey Crescent, subjected the Asian officer to a tirade of obscenities and racial abuse after he broke up a fight at the Hideaway Bar, Kingston Road, in March last year. Sedgewick, was alleged by the arresting officer to have been carrying a BNP membership card in his wallet, but would not comment on the issue during police interview. He was also found guilty of actual bodily harm at Kingston Crown Court on Thursday.

Summing up, Recorder Plaschkes spoke of how Sedgewick had become embroiled in an argument over a stolen beanie hat in the early hours of March 19 last year. Sedgewick had been leaving the bar with family and friends when one of the party was accused by a drinker of having taken his hat. The drinker said that as he restrained and remonstrated with Sedgewick's friend, an unseen attacker jumped on him from behind and rained blows on him, leaving him with a severely bruised face.

Sedgewick had admitted hitting the man but said he was acting in defence of his friend, who he feared was about to be stabbed in the face with a dart.

When Sedgewick was later arrested by police outside the pub and bundled into a van, he subjected one of the officers to a sustained volley of racist abuse. Officers said Sedgewick had repeatedly screamed racial insults and right wing slogans while headbutting and kicking the door. Sedgewick denied this and said racist language was "not in his nature".

The jury acquitted Sedgewick of affray over an accusation he had shoved a police officer in the chest. His co-defendant and friend Martin Yaxley, 43, was cleared of the charges he faced of assault and affray. Sedgewick will be sentenced on June 7th.

Ealing Times

BNP man found guilty of racially abusing police officer

A Morden man, alleged to be a member of the British National Party, has been convicted of screaming racist abuse at a police officer after being arrested for his part in a drunken punch-up. Jamie Sedgewick, 40, of Wolsey Crescent, subjected the Asian officer to a tirade of obscenities and racial abuse after he broke up a fight at the Hideaway Bar in Kingston Road, Wimbledon, in March last year.

Sedgewick, who was alleged by the arresting officer to have been carrying a BNP membership card in his wallet, but would not comment on the issue during police interview, was also found guilty of actual bodily harm at Kingston Crown Court yesterday.

Summing up, Recorder Plaschkes spoke of how Sedgewick had become embroiled in an argument over a stolen beanie hat in the early hours of March 19 last year. Sedgewick had been leaving the bar with family and friends when one of the party was accused by a drinker of having taken his hat. The drinker said that as he restrained and remonstrated with Sedgewick's friend, an unseen attacker jumped on him from behind and rained blows on him, leaving him with a severely bruised face.

Sedgewick had admitted hitting the man but said he was acting in defence of his friend who he feared was about to be stabbed in the face with a dart.

When Sedgewick was later arrested by police outside the pub and bundled into a van, he subjected one of the officers to a sustained volley of racist abuse. Officers said Sedgewick had repeatedly screamed racial insults and right wing slogans while headbutting and kicking the door. Sedgewick denied this and said racist language was "not in his nature".

The jury acquitted Sedgewick of affray over an accusation that he had shoved a police officer in the chest. His co-defendant and friend Martin Yaxley, 43, was cleared of charges of assault and affray.

Sedgewick will be sentenced on June 7.

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