Former EDL member Peter Finch jailed for stamping on ex and for text rant over Muslim lover

A DRUNK dad beat and stamped on his ex-partner ‘like an animal’ and sent threatening, Islamophobic messages after she took a Muslim lover.

Peter Finch was jailed for 12 months at Worcester Crown Court after he beat his ex in a drunken rage which left her with a suspected broken rib.

He denied assault occasioning actual bodily harm against girlfriend Rebecca Harding at her home in Worcester but was found guilty at trial.

The 31-year-old, who said he was a former member of the English Defence League, previously admitted criminal damage to a door and malicious communication which was deemed racially or religiously aggravated between July and October last year.

Finch of Patterdale Drive, Warndon, Worcester, carried out the assault in May last year after Miss Harding, his partner of five years, returned home from work at about 6pm.

Mark Phillips, prosecuting, said: “The relationship was characterised by this defendant becoming aggressive when in drink.

“It was clear he had been out at the pub during the afternoon and was suffering from the effects of drinking too much.

“He accused her of having an affair when she told him she had other plans for the evening other than going out with him.”

The attack happened in a bedroom where she had gone to get changed.

“She described the defendant flying in and punching her in the face.

“The blow with his right hand struck her right cheek. She saw it instantly swelling up. He pushed her to the floor where he held her by the throat.

“She told him she was unable to breathe but still he would not let her go.”

He was described as kneeling on her while he punched her repeatedly in the body.

Mr Phillips said: “Whilst doing so he said ‘this is what I would have done to him’, presumably referring to the man he believed she was having the affair with.

“He stood up. She was curled up in a defensive position, into a ball. She was on her side, exposing her right flank. He then stamped on her ribs.

“She cried out in pain. It was only at that point the defendant seemed to have any sort of remorse about what he had done, saying he was sorry.

“She describes him as behaving like an animal. She had never seen him like that before.”

Miss Harding suffered bruising and a suspected broken rib during the attack. She went to see her doctor and had her medication for depression ‘doubled’, Mr Phillips said.

When Finch learned Miss Harding had travelled to Marrakech and had a new Moroccan boyfriend he sent her a number of abusive texts and WhatsApp messages.

Mr Phillips said: “There was reference to enjoying her time in a burka, clear reference to her being with a Muslim man.

“He refers to himself hating Muslims with a passion and said ‘you were happy to marry a man who hates Muslims with a passion and would wipe them off the planet’. He says he hopes she gets killed.”

In interview he told police: “I was part of the English Defence League.”

Finch represented himself because he was not eligible for legal aid and could not afford to pay anyone to represent him.

He said his ex had sent him messages about sexual activity between her and her new partner. He said: “It was more than disheartening – it was soul-breaking when she sent that to me.”

He added: “I have not been part of the English Defence League for three years. Now my views are completely changed.”

Judge Nicholas Cole said the assault was aggravated because it took place in front of a child. Although the physical injuries were limited to bruising and a suspected broken rib, the emotional impact had been ‘severe’.

He said of the threatening messages that he was satisfied that they were partly motivated by hostility towards Muslims.

He sentenced him to 12 months in custody for the ABH, four weeks for the criminal damage and three months for the malicious communicated with an extra month added because it was religiously/racially aggravated (four months in total). These sentences will be served concurrently to the 12 months, making a total sentence of 12 months.

No separate penalty was imposed for breach of a conditional discharge.

An indefinite restraining order was granted prohibiting him from having contact with Rebecca Harding.

Source: Worcester Evening News

Josh Downey from Evesham banged up (2016)

A VIOLENT demonstrator identified after giving an interview to a current affairs website has been jailed for 18 months.

Josh Downey’s first name, age, home town and photograph were published on the New Statesman just two days after the “anti-immigration” protests in Dover on Saturday, January 30.

Detectives recognised the 22-year-old, of Offenham Road, Evesham in Worcestershire, as being responsible for offences committed throughout the day and sent Downey’s picture to his local police force for identification.

He was arrested on Wednesday, May 11 and later pleaded guilty to one count of violent disorder.

At his sentencing on Friday, August 12, Canterbury Crown Court heard how Downey was filmed throwing numerous objects at opposition protestors in Effingham Street, Dover.

He was later spotted hurling further items while in Folkestone Road, and was also seen in possession of a large piece of wood.

When further fighting broke out later in Market Square, Downey was again caught throwing objects including two large pieces of wood.

Detective Sergeant Matthew Smith of Kent Police said: “The investigation team have arrested more than 70 people in connection with the demonstrations in Dover and they continue to review hundreds of hours of footage captured on the day.

“Although Josh Downey gave us a head start by allowing his details to be published online, my officers have shown they are more than capable of identifying those responsible through good old fashioned police work and a determination to succeed.

“His 18-month sentence is further proof of how serious these cases are being treated by the courts, and I hope the people of Dover are as pleased as I am with the positive results we have received thus far.”

Worcester Evening News

‘I made Labour ‘paedo’ stickers – Worcester council candidate in police probe’

“A POLICE probe has launched after smear campaign stickers linking the Labour Party to paedophiles appeared across the city – with a council candidate being questioned.

In recent months these labels have been found stuck on lampposts across Worcester, with West Mercia Police now deciding to intervene.

We can reveal how Carl Mason, a gas engineer who used to run the city’s British National Party branch, was visited by officers on Saturday evening.

The 50-year-old, of Keble Close, has admitted producing “around 2,000” of the stickers in recent years to sell them on, but insists he has not put them up on any of the lampposts himself.

The stickers, which have been spotted in areas like Tolladine, St John’s and St Peter’s, makes bizarre claims about Labour being a ‘paedo party’ and features details of a website detailing court cases for child sexual offences involving its former councillors nationwide.

 Worcester Labour Party, which made the complaint to police on the grounds of it being malicious, says increasing numbers of

Mason with BNP fuhrer Nick Griffin

its members have been complaining about the stickers.

But Mr Mason, of Keble Close, who is standing in the local elections in May, has hit out at his treatment and says he wants to be left alone.

 “Between five and six o’clock two coppers knocked on the door and I think they were embarrassed to be there, to be honest,” he said.

“They said ‘we’re not charging you, you are not under arrest, we just want to ask you some questions’.

“They told me they’d had a complaint from Worcester Labour Party, and I said I’ve seen them around town.

“I did get stickers printed and sold them on the internet a couple of years ago but I haven’t been putting them up anywhere, it’s a total waste of police time.”

Labour Party sources said they felt the stickers have gone too far and need to be stopped.

Roger Jenkins, the branch secretary, said today: “Technically it was an individual of the party who made a police complaint, but I can’t divulge who.

“But we’ve had members of the party contact the branch about them, several of them weren’t even active members.”

Worcester City Council has been taking down some of the stickers in recent months when staff spot them, saying the tactic is illegal flyposting.

A council spokesman said: “Whenever we come across them they are removed, this is illegal flyposting.”

A spokesman for West Mercia Police said they were unable to confirm what stage the probe was today.

 Mr Mason has tried to get elected onto the city council for the BNP, and is standing in Nunnery this May for the newly-formed ‘British Resistance Party’.

The right-wing party is also expected to contest Gorse and Hill and St John’s for this year’s local elections on Thursday, May 5.”

Malvern Gazette

More local boneheads to look out for..

So-called “United Worcestershire” racists – soiling the streets of Dudley with their filth 7th February..

Faces of hate to look out for in Worcestershire..

Call-out to Oppose Worldwide White Pride in Swansea April 5th

Reposted from Anti-Fascist Network

From Cardiff Antifa Caerdydd:

Urgent Call Out To All The Antifacists In Britain

A WHITE PRIDE WORLD WIDE DEMONSTRATION HAS BEEN CALLED BY THE NATIONAL FRONT IN SWANSEA ON THE 5th OF APRIL 2014. THE DEMO IS CO-ORGANISED BY AN UMBRELLA GROUP OF BRITISH WHITE NATIONALIST THAT CALL THEMSELVES ‘FOR RACE AND NATION COLLECTIVE’.

The National Front is on the rise in south Wales. In January 2014, they held their Annual General Meeting in Swansea. This meeting went ahead un-disrupted by any antifascist and/or Antifa.

Since then, people from several areas throughout south Wales have contacted the NF to organise local demonstrations. In one of them, a small group of people confronted them. However, no call out was made nationally.

In March 2013, the first UK-wide White Pride World Wide event was held in Swansea organised by the National Front. Up to 100 fascists attended and although outnumbered, they held a static demonstration with minimal confrontation or disruption. This time, they are trying to make it bigger than last year.

This were the scenes in Swansea at last year’s White Pride World Wide event for which Christopher Philips was jailed

The NF is also part of For Race and Nation Collective: a combination of multiple fascists groups who believe in white supremacy. They are co-organising this demonstration.

If they are not properly confronted again, the city of Swansea is in danger of becoming the White Pride UK Capital. Swansea is becoming the NF capital in Wales, as mentioned earlier.

Opposing the NF demo last year

This as we know, must not happen. Fascists should not be welcomed in
Swansea, Wales or anywhere on this planet. We, as anti-fascists in Wales want the National Front and all fascist groups out and out forever.

This is an urgent call out for anyone who identifies as an anti-fascist to come to Swansea on the 5th of April 2014.

This is the time when we urgently need all the support from anyone from anywhere who is against fascism and racism.

Please put the 5th of April 2014 in your diary and come to Swansea to stop the UK’s White Pride World Wide.

See you on the streets! ¡No Pasarán!

We are an independent group of antifa people who live in Wales. Our main objective is to organise resistance against fascism in Swansea. We are currently organising a counter demo.

– Cardiff Antifa Caerdydd

Extra Information

Quiet a lot of info on last year’s event here and here and this is the Facebook event from last time. The White Pride demo pulled about 60 fascists who were opposed by 300-400 anti-fascists.

The demo was followed in the evening by a Blood and Honour gig hosted at the Valley Commandos Motorcycle Club.

VCMC denied all knowledge of the event’s true nature, but given that their logo is an SS death’s head and they appear to have hosted neo-Nazi events before (see comments here), it does make you wonder… Hopefully they will not be repeating their mistake and hosting Nazis again.

 

EDL “protest” in Worcester cancelled

Oppose the EDL in Worcester!

On Saturday 22nd March the far-right protest group, English Defence League, are planning to hold a ‘national demonstration’ in Worcester.

They have randomly chosen the city to be the next host of their vile politics of racism and bigotry, only seeking to further divide communities in a time of brutal austerity measures by the Tories and their economic class.

We are calling for as many people as possible to come out and let them know that their politics of hatred and division are not welcome!

Keep the date in your diary, check back on this site for details and updates.

Worcestershire EDL division’s coach to Slough

“The EDL kicked off their year with a poorly attended short walk from Slough train station to the High Street and back again, on Saturday. They had very visible and vocal opposition all the way as locals and antifascists let them know that they were not welcome and attempted to block their march route.

The Worcester & Bromsgrove EDL divisions were spotted arriving in Slough in a coach hired from the Bromsgrove Bus & Coach Co. These divisions are to host the next EDL ‘national demo’ which is due to be held in Worcester on 22nd March 2014. Antifascists are organising to oppose them.

For anybody wanting to ask this company why they are happy to take a bunch of far-right racists to another town to attempt to stir up division and racial tension, you can contact them in the following ways:-

Bromsgrove Bus & Coach Co.

7 Sherwood Rd

Bromsgrove

Worcestershire

B603DR

01527 877754

bb.coaches@yahoo.co.uk

Pics to follow…

@ntifa ”

Taken from Indymedia UK

There’s a row going on down near Slough…

Today’s protests against the EDL in Slough were a pretty good start to 2014. Slough showed loud and clear that no one at all in the town had any sympathy with the EDL. The universal message was “you’re not wanted – go home”

The down-on-their-luck EDL only managed less than 200 for a ‘national’ demo following large numbers of splits, defections and internal arguments. This is looking like the ‘new normal’ for them – the die-hards who haven’t figured out yet the EDL is dying on its feet.

The EDL were worried about numbers for Slough and it looks like they were right to be worried…

In Exeter the EDL got 200 max and blamed it on Exeter being hard to get to.
What’s the excuse this time?

From the horse’s mouth… an “embarrassing” 150 EDL in Slough

And here we see for ourselves…

The massed ranks of the entire EDL: “Britain’s biggest street movement”

The anti-fascist presence from AFN, UAF and others numbered about 200+ mixed in with a feisty crowd of local Slough folks who didn’t take to kindly to a racist march down the High Street on a Saturday afternoon.

Anti-fascists mixing freely with up-for-it locals was one of the best features of the day – made a few new friends on the streets. Slough kids don’t like the cops much either!

The EDL were harassed all the way from the train station into town and all the way back with a barrage of abuse from locals. They took the expected route from the train station to the town centre rally on the High Street and then back again the same way. But as they turned the corner onto the High Street anti-fascists surged forward to try and block the road.

The police had to fight and shove their way all along the High Street including using batons and horse charges against anti-fascists to get the EDL to their rally, facing some determined resistance from anti-fascists trying to block the route of the march.

So although the march did take place, by the EDL were corralled by the police at all times, marched in and then shipped straight back out again. This is due to the actions of anti-fascists – when there is a determined opposition the police are more likely to make the decision to bus the EDL straight out. When there is only limited opposition, as we have seen many times before, the EDL are often free to roam the city in groups and to mob up and go off drinking in groups after the demo – this is when the most trouble occurs as boozed-up gangs of EDL pick on locals or anyone they don’t like the look of. The more people there are up for making a determined show of resistance to the fascists, the safer everyone is.

Anti-fascists give the EDL a piece of their minds

For their part anti-fascists stayed mobile and were not kettled or constrained by the police.

The police reported 4 arrests in total. We know of 3 anti-fascists arrested and one anti-fascist with a head injury from a bottle chucked by the EDL, who is now OK, been patched up and on their way home.

If you have any information or witnessed any anti-fascist arrests or police violence contact GBC Legal.

And please be careful with what footage/pictures you post online. Don’t give the police evidence to prosecute anti-fascists with.

The EDL’s next outing is Worcester on March 22nd. Stick the date in your diary and watch this space!

Good work by London Anti-Fascists and locals Berkshire Anti-Fascists who did sterling organising in advance to get the numbers out on the streets!

From Anti-Fascist Network