Three men sentenced over arson attack on Sussex mosque

James Everley, James Smith and Joshua Morris were sentenced to three years for the arson attack

Three men have been sentenced for an arson attack on a newly-renovated mosque in West Sussex.

James Everley, 20, of Crawley, James Smith, 20, of Burgess Hill, and Joshua Morris, 20, of Haywards Heath, were all sentenced to three years at a young offenders institute.

The fire at the mosque in Wivelsfield Road, Haywards Heath, was started at about 02:10 GMT on 13 February. Police believe the attack was a religiously-aggravated hate crime.

The men had pleaded guilty at Hove Crown Court to arson, theft of paraffin and a public order offence, which involved racially or religiously aggravated fear of violence.

Ch Insp Jon Hull, district commander for Mid Sussex, said: "The mosque was occupied at the time this fire was started and it could have had devastating consequences if it hadn't been put out quickly. Thankfully only damage was caused to the building.

"Everyone who lives, works or visits Sussex has a right to go about their lives without becoming the victim of a hate crime because of their disability, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or gender identity."

The mosque had been renovated and had reopened three months before the attack.

BBC

EDL member gets ASBO over park clash

An English Defence League member who become involved with a clash with Muslims in Hyde Park has been banned from attending future marches without notifying police in advance.

Brian Bristow, 38, of no fixed address, was one of three men who admitted threatening behaviour towards a man running a stall providing Islamic literature near Speakers' Corner, in October last year. The victim was verbally abused and had his possessions thrown around.

Earlier in the day, the men had attended an EDL rally outside the Israeli embassy in Kensington, which ended in a confrontation between EDL members and anti-fascist campaigners in Hyde Park.

At Woolwich Crown Court on August 3, Bristow was jailed for seven days and ordered to pay £400 costs and £10 compensation after admitting using threatening behaviour. At the same court on Thursday, he was given a conviction-related ASBO (CRASBO) as part of his sentence.

The five-year CRASBO prohibits Bristow from attending any EDL march, demonstration or similar event in England and Wales without have notified a specified email account of Westminster police at least seven days before the event. He must also not use words or behaviour which might cause harassment, alarm or distress, or be in possession of alcohol or controlled substances, in a public place on the day of a notified event.

In sentencing the men, the judge condemned the "thuggish behaviour" they had demonstrated.

Detective constable Andy Haworth said: "We have to strike a balance between people's right to protest and the right of individuals to go about their daily business. However, we will not tolerate individuals using protest as a front for committing acts of violence and disorder, and hope the antisocial behaviour order will send a message to others."

Westminster Chronicle

College student facing mosque attack charges has bail relaxed

A Kingston College student accused of being part of a gang who allegedly attacked Kingston mosque has had his bail relaxed to allow him to continue his studies.

James Stacey, 18, of Ashhurst Drive, Shepperton, is one of nine defendants facing trial at Kingston Crown Court in September for the attack on November 21 last year. He was among six men at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, August 25, who have denied charges of affray and religiously aggravated criminal damage.

Three men have already been committed to the Crown Court. All nine men were banned from entering the borough of Kingston at an earlier hearing as part of their bail conditions.

Jordan Ellingham, 21, of Camden Avenue, Feltham, Martin Pottle, 22, of Eldridge Close, Feltham, Karl Mathews, 20, of High Street, Brentford, Terence Earl, 31, of Aspen Lane, Northolt and Adam Khalfan, Feltham Road, Ashford, will have a hearing on September 22 before a trial. They will be joined by Paul Abley, 24, of Hounslow Road, Shepperton, Alfie Wallace, 18, of Hetherington Road, Shepperton and David Morris, 20, of Elm Way, Epsom.

The mosque was urinated on and beer bottles thrown at it following a peaceful march by the English Defence League (EDL).

This is Local London

Shamed Lincolnshire teenager guilty of attack on Muslim policeman

A 17-year-old youth has been ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid community work after carrying out a religiously aggravated attack on a police officer.

The Cherry Willingham youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was previously found guilty of assaulting off-duty Muslim police officer PC Rizwaan Chothia by Lincoln magistrates following a two-day trial held earlier this month.

He faced trial alongside Daniel Odling, 26, of High Street, Blyton, near Gainsborough, who was found guilty of religiously aggravated threatening behaviour and fined £450 and ordered to pay £500 costs plus a £15 victims' surcharge.

During the trail, the court heard how a group of six or seven men entered the Grandstand on Carholme Road, where 30 to 40 Muslims were gathered for a meeting on July 9 last year, and behaved in a threatening manner. The meeting was held to identify a site for a new place of worship after the Lincoln Islamic Association's application for a mosque in Boultham Park Road was rejected.

Magistrates were told the uninvited group turned up following publicity about the event, and used profane and blasphemous language against the Muslim community members who were gathered.

Jane Loader, prosecuting, said: "Some of the men entered the meeting hall and were abusive to members of the Muslim community. The males and some attendees at the meeting then went outside and a confrontation took place. The 17-year-old youth approached PC Chothia and said 'come on then' while gesturing with his hands. He was trying to antagonise him and provoke a reaction but PC Chothia did not respond. The youth swung his right arm, making contact with PC Chothia's face in a punch-come-slap motion. Again, PC Chothia did not respond."

The court heard that PC Chothia was uninjured in the attack but alarmed and distressed by the group's intrusion and blasphemy. He had recognised the 17-year-old youth, who has no previous convictions, from a photograph at the police station.

In mitigation, magistrates were told the youth deeply regretted going to the meeting.

Sunil Khanna, defending, said: "He lashed out but it is accepted no injury was caused. He never used any blasphemous language or comments about Islam. This incident occurred because he followed other people and was led down the wrong path but he has now come a long way from the views he held a year ago."

Chairman of the bench Hefina Brumpton gave the youth a 12-month youth rehabilitation order and a 12-month supervision order. He was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid community work pay £100 costs.

This is Lincolnshire

No prosecution for burning Koran

Seven men accused of burning a Koran in a pub car park and posting the video online will not be prosecuted.

Wendy Williams of the Crown Prosecution Service said the majority of people would find the inflammatory incident "repugnant". But she added there is not enough evidence to create a realistic chance the men would be convicted of any offence.

Mrs Williams said: "If any further evidence comes to light and is sent to us, we will look at it."

Police arrested seven men on suspicion of inciting racial hatred after a video recording was posted on YouTube last September. It showed a group of young men in hooded tops or wearing scarves over their faces pouring petrol on a book and setting it alight. They cheered as the book bursts into flames during the incident in a car park behind a Gateshead pub.

Those involved later told police they did not intend to offend anyone and very few people saw what happened at the time.

The men may have been copying Terry Jones who threatened to burn the holy book on September 11. The Florida-based pastor sparked an international outcry but did not go ahead with the provocative plan.

Prosecutors said police could not identify who recorded the video and posted it online and there was not enough evidence those involved were threatening anyone. They added that the men could not be charged with a religiously aggravated public order offence because they could not prove anyone was there who was distressed.

Belfast Telegraph

I’m no racist, insists writer of offensive Facebook comments

A man who said he was “going to put nails in a stick” before attending an anti-Muslim protest insisted yesterday he is not racist

Kristopher Paul Woolf, of Queen Street, Ton Pentre, Rhondda, was one of five men arrested after police officers were alerted to offensive comments being made on a Facebook group trying to arrange the Rhondda March, a BNP anti-Muslim rally which was due to take place on Sunday, February 28.

Woolf, who pleaded guilty at Rhondda Magistrates’ Court to committing a religiously aggravated public order offence of using words to cause alarm or distress on January 15, has been warned he could face jail.

Simon Beattie, prosecuting, said 129 people were linked to the Rhondda March page on Facebook. He said: “One person who left a message was the defendant.”

He said Woolf, asked on the site whether he was going on the march, replied that he was, writing “I’m going to put some nails in a stick”.

But 30-year-old Woolf dismissed this comment as “childish banter” when interviewed by police. Mr Beattie added: “He said he had no intention of attending the march or harming anyone. On reflection he said he understood that minority groups could get alarmed or distressed. He said he wasn’t a racist.”

Although the Rhondda March did not take place following the arrests of five men in relation to comments they had made on Facebook, the proposed event sparked such outrage that almost 1,000 people joined an opposition group on the same website called “We say no to the planned Rhondda Valleys racist march”.

Kelly Robson, who grew up in the Rhondda, said she set up the group as a platform for “intelligent, informed, peace-loving residents of the Rhondda Valleys”.

Woolf was granted unconditional bail until his next hearing at Rhondda Magistrates’ Court on March 30. The other four men who were also arrested in relation to comments posted on the Rhondda March page have been bailed until June.

Wales Online

Far right leader gets suspended prison sentence for race hate speech

Kevin Quinn, the leader of a right wing party convicted of a religiously aggravated public order offence after a racist speech in South Oxhey, has received a six-month suspended prison sentence.

Quinn launched a tirade of abuse at a British First Party rally after setting up a stall with Union flags in the shopping precinct on Saturday, December 1, 2007. The 44-year-old was arrested after he was heard to shout all Muslims are b******s, while referring to the plight of British school teacher Gillian Gibbons, accused of blasphemy in Sudan after allowing children to name a Teddy Bear Muhammad.

Quinn was found guilty after a second trial at St Albans Crown Court in March and sentence was adjourned for reports until Monday. The jury in the first trial was discharged when they could not reach a verdict. A two-year suspended sentence imposed on the unemployed father of four, for disseminating racist literature had only just expired when he took to the stand in South Oxhey.

In mitigation Mark Kimsey, said although Quinn - who sat in the dock with his bag dressed in a blue tracksuit - held “extreme views” the court case had had a profound effect on the party leader and its 1000 members.

Mr Kimsey said: “The words uttered on that day weren’t to cause offence but the emotion was some what high. Earlier he had been handed an article in the Daily Mail about the woman in Sudan and the naming of a Teddy Bear Muhammad. The words were said in the heat of the moment and he apologises for the upset.”

He added: “One shopkeeper took exception to the words uttered, but there was no public unrest.”

One of Quinn’s children had been bullied as a result of the media attention to the case, which had caused the defendant to think about his place in the party. Mr Kimsey said: “He is reconsidering his role in the party. He has learnt a hard lesson by the impact the court case has had on him and those closest to him. He will now concentrate on his family rather than the political views he holds.”

Before sentencing, Judge Stephen Warner said: “The jury found you used abusive or insulting words directed towards those of the Muslim faith. There is a right of freedom of speech in this country, which extends to those such as yourself who seek to express in public views such as yours however offensive many may find them to be. That right, however, does not include the right to insult or abuse such members of the public that are exposed to that behaviour.

“A member of the public felt sufficiently strongly to contact police because you had abused that freedom of expression. You have a long history of involvement in extreme organisations and clearly hold deeply entrenched views consistent with that ideology.”

The judge noted the party operated on a small scale and was a “marginal less than sophisticated fringe organisation”. He concluded: “The option I face is to send you to prison today, which many would regard you thoroughly deserve, or an alternative course to mark the seriousness of the offence but allow you to stay in the community.”

Judge Warner suspended the six-month sentence for 18 months. Quinn was also ordered to carry out 250 hours unpaid work, and subjected to a four-month curfew from 7pm to 6am. He will be supervised by probation for six months.

Watford Observer