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 businessman who hurled missiles as he marched through Bristol with the English Defence League handed himself into the authorities when he realised he was a wanted man.

Barry Johnson was one of hundreds of marchers who took part in the high-profile demonstration through the city centre in July last year.

Bristol Crown Court heard how he was caught on film by a cameraman and images were later posted online by Avon and Somerset police in a bid to track him down. When he saw the images Johnson travelled from his home in Peterborough to admit his involvement in the incident.

The 29-year-old from Poplar Avenue, Peterborough, pleaded guilty to affray when he appeared in court.

Judge Martin Picton told him: "Throwing missiles is clearly dangerous. Someone could have been hurt."

The judge handed Johnson a three-month prison sentence which was suspended for a year. He also fined him £250 and ordered him to pay £85 towards court costs.

Richard Posner, prosecuting, said: "On July 14 in Bristol there was a demonstration and march by the English Defence League in the centre of Bristol.

"The group was formed in 2009 and it claims to oppose Islamic extremism. It chose to assemble in Bristol and march. That led to tension with United Against Fascism, and there was anticipated to be tension between the two groups." He added: "Police went to the city centre to quell disorder."

Mr Posner told the court that police filmed Johnson in the thick of the crowd, throwing two missiles in the direction of the UAF supporters with no apparent provocation.

He said it was impossible to say if anyone was struck and there was no other violence taking place at the time of the incident.

The judge was shown the police footage which captured the offence. Johnson was in the middle of a crowd of jostling and gesticulating EDL marchers.

Mr Posner said: "There was an intention to identify people and the defendant was identified in that way. He handed himself in. He had seen himself on the Avon and Somerset police website, which asked Do you know who these people are?"

When Johnson handed himself in police interviewed him but he made no comment about the incident.

His criminal record revealed he had previous convictions for football-related violent disorder.

Johnson represented himself in court but, other than handing the judge a letter, said nothing in his defence. The judge confirmed he had read a pre-sentence report from the probation service which revealed Johnson ran his own business with his brother.

Bristol Post, 28 January 2013

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Azhar Ahmed, the young Muslim from Yorkshire who was convicted of posting offensive Facebook comments about British troops in Afghanistan, was sentenced at Huddersfield Magistrates' Court today to a £300 fine and 240 hours of community service.

Here is the entirely predictable response of the English Defence League to Ahmed's sentence, featuring their usual hypocritical whine about a "two-tier system":

Of course, there is indeed a two-tier system in operation. Only last week an EDL supporter named Kenneth Holden was in court for sentencing after being convicted of posting death threats against Muslims on Facebook. He wasn't even fined, but received only a 12‑month community order placing him under the supervision of the probation service "so his attitudes towards Muslims could be looked at".

You can imagine how differently a Muslim would have been treated if they had posted similar threats on Facebook.

In fact, what was unusual in Holden's case was that he was even prosecuted in the first place, as EDL members post threats against Muslims on Facebook on a regular basis without being charged with any offence. When Azhar Ahmed appeared in court back in March, the EDL's official Facebook page was filled with sickening threats of violence against him. News of his sentencing today provoked comments like these.

Azhar Ahmed's Facebook post, though undoubtedly offensive, contained no actual threats of violence at all, yet he was charged under the Communications Act 2003 which makes it an offence to send "by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character".

The police response to the threats of violence against Azhar Ahmed was very different. Instead of being prosecuted, the individuals concerned were let off with cautions (a fifth individual arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred was bailed, but it is unclear if any further action was taken). Here is the real "two-tier system" in operation.

[This post has been amended to take account of the cautions given back in June which I have to admit I had overlooked, though it doesn't undermine the point about the double standards applied to Azhar Ahmed and the individuals who threatened him. Thanks to Yakoub Islam for the info.]

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Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian far-right extremist, has been sentenced to at least 21 years in prison after a court declared he was sane throughout his murderous rampage last year that killed 77 people.

The Oslo district court declared its verdict that the 33-year-old was not psychotic while carrying out the twin attacks, including the shooting of dozens of teenagers attending a political camp.

The court's decision will have delighted Breivik, who had hoped to avoid what he called the "humiliation" of being dismissed as a madman. The mass killer had desperately hoped the court would find him criminally culpable for the killings, claiming they were "cruel and necessary" to protect Norway from becoming overrun by Muslims.

After two months of deliberations, the five-judge panel told a packed Oslo courtroom that they considered the perpetrator of last year's gun and bomb attacks, the worst in the country's history, mentally fit enough to be held criminally responsible for the attacks, which also left 242 wounded.

Breivik is almost certain to end his life in prison. Although Norway has a maximum prison sentence of 21-years, Breivik could be sentenced to "preventive detention", which can be extended for as long as an inmate is considered dangerous to society.

The verdict of the most high-profile criminal trial in Norway since Nazi collaborators were prosecuted following the second world war is certain to provoke a strong response.

Most Norwegians, including the victims' families, had wanted Breivik to be found sane so he could be held accountable for what they view as a political crime.

Guardian, 24 August 2012

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