Two women joined a racist mob which attacked and abused a terrified Kurdish family in a city centre takeaway, a court heard.

Hayley Wells, aged 28, and 30-year-old Kelly Watterson were part of a group which spilled out of a pub and hurled vile abuse on a Sunday afternoon. Someone threw a glass which smashed next to a baby in a car seat inside the Istanbul kebab shop in Exeter Street, Plymouth Crown Court heard.

Wells scratched the boy's mother on the arm and Watterson admitted she was drunk and aggressive as part of the mob, which had been attending a meeting of the English Defence League. The mother and her partner were so shaken that they have since sold the takeaway.

Recorder Paul Derbyshire said: "This was a shocking and violent incident which left these victims in a distressed state. This has led to the closure of the business and they have moved away." He handed Wells a suspended prison sentence and Watterson a community order. Both must do hefty periods of unpaid work.

Watterson, of St Peter's Road, Manadon, admitted one count of affray and Wells, of Shell Close, Leigham, admitted one count of religiously aggravated common assault on August 31, 2011.

Kelly Scrivener, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the male victim arrived at the shop at about 2pm to see a large group of men and women gathered outside the nearby Wild Coyote pub. He added they racially abused him and told him to "go back to his own country".

Miss Scrivener said someone in the group threw a glass object, which smashed on his car. She added the two defendants kicked the door of the shop and Wells scratched the woman's arm. The court heard the mob continued to shout "EDL" and further racist abuse. Miss Scrivener said an unknown member of the group threw a glass which smashed close to her infant son in a car seat. She added Wells and Watterson were pulled away by men in the group.

Wells told police in interview that she believed all Muslims were extremists and if she saw a woman in a burka it would make her angry. She admitted to officers that she organised EDL meetings and had been drinking and taking amphetamine. Miss Scrivener said Watterson, the best friend of Wells, admitted being drunk and aggressive and said she was swept along with the group.

The court heard a statement from the victim which said she still feels "very frightened" walking around the city centre. She said her partner sold the takeaway, because he was too afraid to work so close to the pub.

The judge handed Wells a three-month prison sentence suspended for two years under probation supervision. She must do 200 hours unpaid work and pay the victim £100 in compensation. Watterson was given a 12-month community order under probation supervision with 150 hours unpaid work. She must also pay £100 in compensation to the victim.

Plymouth Herald, 23 February 2013

The Herald also provides an account of the events by the mother who was attacked (referred to as "HK"):

The mob were shouting "Allah is a paedo". The husband said to them he was just trying to do his job, but he couldn't reason with them. I could see they were working themselves up, chanting "EDL". I told him to get into his car as they threw glasses and as I raced back to the shop, telling everyone to get inside, they were all behind me. There was me between the family and the mob. The daughter was shouting "leave my dad alone" and they told her to "**** off you Muslim s**g".

I'd called the police, saying "we're being attacked by a racist mob" – they could hear everything. The men were throwing glasses into the shop. I was screaming at the family to get out the back – I didn't know how long I could hold the door. The family were at the back, crying. They said they didn't want to leave me behind. I phoned the police again and told them to record what they heard, record what happened to us when the mob got in.

HK said when the police arrived Wells and Watterson went in a different direction to the mob. She kept the door shut until police wielding tasers had deployed dogs and moved the mob back to the Wild Coyote pub. As she opened the door, she spotted the pair walking past so she raced to an officer and pointed them out. She said:

"They were swearing and shouting, even when they were taken to the floor. When we went to the police station we all had glass in our clothes. Glass was all over the baby boy. It was terrifying. I've done Human Rights work in conflict zones but this mob were out of control."

EDL News points out that Wells is now involved with the English Volunteer Force, another rabidly Islamophobic far-right group led by former BNP and EDL activist Chris Renton (aka John Sheridan).

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Two women joined a racist mob which attacked and abused a terrified Kurdish family in a city centre takeaway, a court heard.

Hayley Wells, aged 28, and 30-year-old Kelly Watterson were part of a group which spilled out of a pub and hurled vile abuse on a Sunday afternoon. Someone threw a glass which smashed next to a baby in a car seat inside the Istanbul kebab shop in Exeter Street, Plymouth Crown Court heard.

Wells scratched the boy's mother on the arm and Watterson admitted she was drunk and aggressive as part of the mob, which had been attending a meeting of the English Defence League. The mother and her partner were so shaken that they have since sold the takeaway.

Recorder Paul Derbyshire said: "This was a shocking and violent incident which left these victims in a distressed state. This has led to the closure of the business and they have moved away." He handed Wells a suspended prison sentence and Watterson a community order. Both must do hefty periods of unpaid work.

Watterson, of St Peter's Road, Manadon, admitted one count of affray and Wells, of Shell Close, Leigham, admitted one count of religiously aggravated common assault on August 31, 2011.

Kelly Scrivener, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the male victim arrived at the shop at about 2pm to see a large group of men and women gathered outside the nearby Wild Coyote pub. He added they racially abused him and told him to "go back to his own country".

Miss Scrivener said someone in the group threw a glass object, which smashed on his car. She added the two defendants kicked the door of the shop and Wells scratched the woman's arm. The court heard the mob continued to shout "EDL" and further racist abuse. Miss Scrivener said an unknown member of the group threw a glass which smashed close to her infant son in a car seat. She added Wells and Watterson were pulled away by men in the group.

Wells told police in interview that she believed all Muslims were extremists and if she saw a woman in a burka it would make her angry. She admitted to officers that she organised EDL meetings and had been drinking and taking amphetamine. Miss Scrivener said Watterson, the best friend of Wells, admitted being drunk and aggressive and said she was swept along with the group.

The court heard a statement from the victim which said she still feels "very frightened" walking around the city centre. She said her partner sold the takeaway, because he was too afraid to work so close to the pub.

The judge handed Wells a three-month prison sentence suspended for two years under probation supervision. She must do 200 hours unpaid work and pay the victim £100 in compensation. Watterson was given a 12-month community order under probation supervision with 150 hours unpaid work. She must also pay £100 in compensation to the victim.

Plymouth Herald, 23 February 2013

The Herald also provides an account of the events by the mother who was attacked (referred to as "HK"):

The mob were shouting "Allah is a paedo". The husband said to them he was just trying to do his job, but he couldn't reason with them. I could see they were working themselves up, chanting "EDL". I told him to get into his car as they threw glasses and as I raced back to the shop, telling everyone to get inside, they were all behind me. There was me between the family and the mob. The daughter was shouting "leave my dad alone" and they told her to "**** off you Muslim s**g".

I'd called the police, saying "we're being attacked by a racist mob" – they could hear everything. The men were throwing glasses into the shop. I was screaming at the family to get out the back – I didn't know how long I could hold the door. The family were at the back, crying. They said they didn't want to leave me behind. I phoned the police again and told them to record what they heard, record what happened to us when the mob got in.

HK said when the police arrived Wells and Watterson went in a different direction to the mob. She kept the door shut until police wielding tasers had deployed dogs and moved the mob back to the Wild Coyote pub. As she opened the door, she spotted the pair walking past so she raced to an officer and pointed them out. She said:

"They were swearing and shouting, even when they were taken to the floor. When we went to the police station we all had glass in our clothes. Glass was all over the baby boy. It was terrifying. I've done Human Rights work in conflict zones but this mob were out of control."

EDL News points out that Wells is now involved with the English Volunteer Force, another rabidly Islamophobic far-right group led by former BNP and EDL activist Chris Renton (aka John Sheridan).

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A man launched a drunken attack on a mosque after watching a news report about the desecration of Commonwealth graves in Libya.

Barry Stanbury, 42, was caught on CCTV cameras at shortly before 2.30am on March 5, wandering around the Exeter Mosque before a window was smashed, Exeter magistrates heard.

The court was told Stanbury was wearing "a distinctive hoodie" with a logo of a large cross on it, and a police officer recognised the defendant.

Clifford Howard, prosecuting, said: "The criminal damage occurred at the Exeter Mosque at 2.23am. We have the precise time because it was caught on CCTV."

When interviewed Stanbury said he was "so drunk he did not remember doing it".

Mr Howard said he told police his motive for carrying out the religiously aggravated criminal damage was seeing on the news that Commonwealth graves had been desecrated in Libya.

Stanbury, of Laxton Avenue, Exeter, denied racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage at the mosque but was convicted after a trial. Magistrates sentenced him to 80 hours unpaid work, £100 compensation and pay £150 costs.

Exeter Express and Echo, 1 November 2012

Via ENGAGE

The claim that Stanbury's attack was suddenly triggered by a news report is clearly nonsense. A glance at his Facebook page confirms that he is a member of the English Defence League (its Kingston-upon-Thames division, as he now lives in Reading) and his list of "likes" includes virtually every far-right organisation in existence, from the British National Party to the National Front.

Following the EDL's Luton demonstration in May this year, Stanbury commented that he was "fed up with peaceful protest". As support for the EDL's street protests continues to shrink, it can be anticipated that more disgruntled members like Stanbury will turn to direct acts of violence against the Muslim community.

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Two elderly people from the Muslim community were assaulted on Friday-Saturday night in Amiens. The two attackers claimed to be from the far right, it was learned on Sunday from the Regional Council of the Muslim Faith in Picardy and the Somme prefecture.

The victims, two men aged 70 and 71, were attacked around five o'clock in the morning while they were on their way to the mosque in North Amiens for Fajr prayer, which takes place at dawn. After being violently abused by two men "with very short hair and claiming to belong to the extreme right" the two men were beaten up.

Their lives are not in danger, but they were admitted to Amiens hospital with injuries particularly to their legs and ribs, according to the Regional Council. Their attackers, meanwhile, had fled.

Two complaints were lodged on Saturday afternoon at the Amiens police station and an investigation has been launched by the Amiens prosecutor, the prefecture has confirmed, adding that the area where the assault took place was not equipped with CCTV cameras.

France Soir, 7 May 2012

Via Islam in Europe

See also Courrier Picard, 7 May 2012

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Jailed again: Martin PottleThree men who joined a hooded and masked gang to attack Kingston Mosque with sticks and bottles have been jailed today. Judge Geraldine Kent overturned their pleas for leniency after hearing that all three men still denied being involved in the attack on November 21, 2010.

David Morris, 21, bought the bacon later strewn over the mosque and was caught out when he photographed co-defendant Alfie Wallace holding a stick. He was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court to six months imprisonment for racially aggravated criminal damage.

Racist Alfie Wallace, 19, was sentenced to a total of 12 months in a Young Offenders Institution for religiously aggravated criminal damage and violent disorder. The court heard he had shouted out "I'm being arrested by a black man" in connection with another earlier offence.

Martin Pottle, 24, was sentenced to a total of 14 months in prison for religiously aggravated criminal damage and violent disorder. He had lied to police to try and pretend he was nowhere near the mosque before admitting during the trial that he was.

CCTV from a mosque camcorder identified him as among the fleeing gang by a distinctive streak in his hair. He was on bail for affray when he joined the attack.

Some of their acquitted former co-defendants in the trial, Paul Abley, Jordan Ellingham, Adam Khalfan and James Stacey watched from the public dock.

The court heard from Morris' defence counsel Mr Robertson that he was polite and helpful and said it was a borderline case for prison.

Wallace's counsel Miss Macatonia said he was only 17 when the attack took place and he had a scheme connected with the Olympics to help young people with right-wing views.

And Mr O'Toole representing Pottle said since he completed a six month prison sentence for affray he had a child with his girlfriend and wanted to turn his life around.

But delivering her verdict Judge Geraldine Kent said: "You had no legitimate reason to go to the mosque at all. This is not a case of a legitimate protest that spiralled out of control.

"The attack on the mosque was an unprovoked attack against innocent people inside the mosque and it frightened members of the public who should be able to go about their daily lives in a residential street without fear."

Kingston Guardian, 27 April 2012

As we have noted before, Pottle, Abley and Ellingham are all associates of former EDL youth leader Joel Titus. The six month sentence for affray that Pottle served was as a result of a fight between rival gangs of football hooligans in 2010 that also led to the jailing of Titus and Abley.

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