Race rant Camden Road manhunt by police

A man who racially abused two children and punched a wheelchair– bound man in the head is being hunted by police.

A 53-year-old disabled man was waiting at the bus stop opposite Kwik Fit on Camden Raod, Holloway, at around 2.15pm on October 4 when he saw a suspect racially abusing two Asian school children.

When the disabled man, who is also Asian, got on the bus the suspect then approached him and began to shout racist abuse. The victim pushed him away but the suspect punched him in the head. He continued his racist tirade before delivering a final blow and jumping off the bus near Holloway Prison.

The suspect is a tanned white man, about 40-years-old, clean shaven with short dark hair and a medium build. When he made the attack he was wearing a black suit jacket and dark coloured trousers. He also spoke with a mock West Indian accent.

Police ask anyone with information to call Pc Rachel Hallam on 0207 421 0296 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

London 24

Thanks to Zaahid for the heads-up

Racist Woman Thrown Off London Bus

A woman has been thrown off a London bus after being caught on camera hurling racist abuse at a fellow passenger.

The incident happened on the 29 bus, which runs from Trafalgar Square to Wood Green in North London. The woman can be seen swearing at a black man with dreadlocks, shouting "I can't tell whether you're Afro-bbean, Caribbean".

He insists he is English, but when she takes a swing at him - with very embarrassing results - he takes matters into his own hands and throws her off the bus.

Scotland Yard have told LBC 97.3 that they've had no reports the incident

LBC 97.3

Ex EDL members targeted Hartlepool mosque and Shotton Colliery store

Two former English Defence League (EDL) members daubed “racially offensive” material on a mosque and two Asian-run businesses in revenge for the burning of poppies by an extreme Islamic group.

Steven James Vasey, 32, and 24-year-old Anthony Donald Smith (pictured, left) were yesterday jailed for a year for their attack, which followed incidents at a war memorial in Luton on Armistice Day last November.

Days later, on the eve of the Muslim Eid festival to mark the end of Ramadan, the masked men, along with an accomplice, climbed a fence after dark at the Nasir Mosque, in Brougham Street, Hartlepool. The initials EDL and NEI – North-East Infidels – as well as the words “no surrender”, the cross of St George and figures of red poppies, were sprayed before two figures were seen fleeing the premises.

Chris Baker, prosecuting at Durham Crown Court, said a taxi seen in the area at the time was similar to a vehicle spotted later in Potto Street, Shotton Colliery, County Durham, where an upstairs window at the Milco convenience store was put out with a brick. Similar graffiti to that sprayed at the mosque was daubed at both the shop and the nearby Albert Guest House, in Front Street, both run by an Asian businessman. Mr Baker told the court: “There’s a certain irony in that the targeted store was selling poppies at the time.”

He said Smith, who drove for the taxi company and had links to the EDL, was arrested the following day. Messages found on his phone revealed him planning with Vasey and a third accused, Smith’s girlfriend at the time, Charlotte Christina Davies, who he met at an EDL rally in Amsterdam earlier in the year. Mr Baker said the text messages included claims they were going “Muzzy bashing” and that the mosque was going to be given “a makeover”.

Vasey, formerly of Pittington, near Durham City, but now of Eden Crescent, Darlington; Smith, of Rydale Court, Trimdon Station, County Durham and Davies, 19, of Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire, all admitted conspiracy to commit racially aggravated criminal damage.

Shaun Dryden, for Vasey, said it had been a “foolish venture”. Stephen Constantine, for Smith, said he had, “a lack of insight” into the consequences of his actions, which were caused through his outrage at the poppy burning. Jane Waugh, for Davies, said her involvement was merely text messages encouraging Davies’ involvement. Barristers for all three said they have now severed their ties with the EDL.

Jailing Vasey and Davies, Recorder William Lowe told them: “It’s said this was carried out for what some extremists did on Armistice Day in Luton, as seen on TV. It may be that was something these three had in mind, but it does not excuse this conduct. It’s the sort of behaviour from which those who are militant feed.”

Davies was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for a year, with 200-hours’ unpaid work.

Northern Echo

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

Men admit spraying racist words on mosque

Two men have admitted daubing racist graffiti on a mosque and two Asian-run business premises.

Anthony Donald Smith, 24, and 32-year-old Steven James Vasey yesterday both pleaded guilty to a single charge of conspiracy to commit racially aggravated criminal damage, between November 1 and 17, last year.

It relates, specifically, to spray painting offensive messages on the Nasir mosque, in Brougham Place, Hartlepool, as well as at the Milko store, in Potto Street, and at the Albert Guest House, in Front Street, both in Shotton Colliery, County Durham, all said to have taken place on November 11. Smith, of Neptune Way, Easington Colliery, and Vasey, of Prior’s Grange, High Pittington, near Durham, entered their pleas at a short hearing at Durham Crown Court, yesterday.

Barristers Shaun Dryden, for Vasey, and Stephen Constantine, for Smith, requested reports be prepared by the Probation Service before the men are sentenced. Judge John Evans agreed and adjourned the hearing for sentence on a day to be agreed in the week of October 3. Bailing the two men, he warned them: “The fact I’m adjourning mustn’t be taken by either of you as any indication as to the way you are sentenced. That will up to the judge who sentences you in October.”

They will be sentenced alongside a third defendant, co-accused Charlotte Christina Davies. The 19-year-old single mother, of Irving Path, in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, is facing the same charge. She appeared in the court on Friday, August 19, when the hearing was told that she intends to plead guilty.

Davies was said to have sent text messages suggesting pork scratchings should be thrown at the mosque, or a pig’s head could be left there, with “Merry Christmas” daubed above the door, on the day before the start of the Muslim festival of Eid.

Jane Waugh, for Davies, told that hearing she would be pleading guilty on the basis that whatever she suggested was not carried out by any of the others. Her case was adjourned, and probation reports were requested for her next hearing, when she will appear with Vasey and Smith, in the week of October 3.

Northern Echo

Man sprays anti-mosque graffiti at West Bridgford site

A 25-year-old English Defence League member has pleaded guilty to daubing racist graffiti on land being considered as a site for a mosque.

Christopher Payne of Hucknall admitted spraying the graffiti but denied putting a pig's head on the site in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire. He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court and will be sentenced on 21 July.

Police went to the property on 23 June where the slogan "No Mosque Here" was found spray painted on the ground.

Payne pleaded guilty to causing racially or religiously aggravated alarm, dissent or distress and causing racially aggravated criminal damage. Three other men aged 19, 21 and 31, have been arrested and questioned about the incident.

Payne, of Beardsmore Close, Hucknall, who is an events planner for the English Defence League, told the court that he sprayed the slogan but did not put the pig's head on the grassland. He was granted bail with a curfew but ordered to stay out of West Bridgford and not to go within 200m of a mosque. He has also been told not to have any public association with the English Defence League.

A member of the public reported finding the graffiti near Collington Way in West Bridgford on Thursday.

BBC

EDL trio accused of racist graffiti

Three members of the English Defence League, including one from Buckinghamshire, have appeared in court charged with conspiring to commit racially aggravated criminal damage.

Charlotte Davies, 19, of Aylesbury, Anthony Smith, 24, of Easington, Peterlee, County Durham, and Steven Vasey, 31, of High Pittington, County Durham, are alleged to have plotted to daub graffiti on a mosque and buildings linked to a family business. Each spoke only to answer their name during a short hearing before Peterlee Magistrates on Wednesday.

Davies, wearing a pale crocheted top, giggled as the charge was read out. None entered a plea to the indictable only offence.

Chairman of the bench Gary Walker committed the case to Durham Crown Court, where the defendants are due to appear before a judge next Wednesday. They were released on unconditional bail.

A Durham Police spokesman said: "The charges relate to spray- painting incidents at the Nasir mosque in Hartlepool, the Albert Guest House in Shotton Colliery and the Milko store in Shotton Colliery, all on November 16 last year. At the time of the alleged offences, all three people claimed membership of the English Defence League."

Littlehampton Gazette

Thanks to NewsHound for the heads-up

English Defence League racist gets criminal Asbo after abusing Asian family

A FAR-RIGHT racist from Lincoln has been given a 10-year criminal ASBO after hurling abuse at an Asian family.

Shane Overton, 38, a member of the English Defence League (EDL), was given the Criminal Anti-Social Behaviour Order, known as a Crasbo, at Doncaster Crown Court.

It bans him from going to any public meeting organised by the far-right EDL and from travelling by train.

Overton, a self-proclaimed local leader of the EDL, pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence, which happened at Doncaster train station as he returned from an EDL rally in Newcastle on May 29 last year.

He shouted racist and Islamophobic abuse at an Asian couple and their two young children as they waited on the station platform.

It is just the second time a Crasbo has been used against members of the EDL.

Acting detective inspector Simon Bromiley, of Lincolnshire Police, said: "We are extremely pleased with this result.

"We have worked closely with our national partners on this case and we are hopeful that utilising this kind of legislation will enable us to curb Overton's offending and tackle racism and Islamophobia in our community in the future."

Chief Inspector Tom Naughton, of British Transport Police, said: "Racist abuse of any sort is unacceptable, but the nature of Overton's insults levelled at a family minding their own business sitting on the platform were despicable.

"Everyone has the right to travel without fear of abuse or threatening behaviour and when that behaviour is further exacerbated by racist undertones, our stance becomes firmer still."

Overton, of Parker Avenue, off Brant Road, Lincoln, was given a football banning order along with 10 other people in 2001 after trouble at a Lincoln City v Hull City game.

The terms of his Crasbo prevent him travelling on any train or entering a railway station, participating in, organising or controlling an EDL event or from entering in to or loitering outside any mosque, Islamic prayer room, meeting room, school, cultural centre or festival site, or any site under development for these purposes.

DC Andy Haworth, of the National Domestic Extremism Unit, a national police unit which worked alongside the transport police and Lincolnshire Police, said: "It is only the second time a Crasbo of this nature has been granted to individuals participating in EDL demonstrations.

"It is widely anticipated other police forces will follow suit and apply for Crasbos to stop violent individuals from subverting otherwise legitimate, lawful protests.

"While the Defence Leagues is entitled to protest, violence has been a persistent feature of their demonstrations.

"On this occasion, an offence was committed while travelling from a demonstration."

Yvette Levy, the local CPS Criminal ASBO lead, said: "No one should be made to feel fear or concern for their safety purely because of the language they speak or the colour of their skin.

"Overton's victims were subjected to racially offensive language while patiently waiting for their train.

"The extreme views expressed by Overton caused two children to cling to their parents in fear."

Simon Cressy, of the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight, said: "Once again, we see the racist side of the EDL rearing its ugly head.

"Searchlight will be watching closely to make sure Overton stays away from future EDL events."

This Is Lincolnshire