Jailed mosque blaze pair ‘went on marches with EDL’

TWO men who set fire to a mosque met at Hester’s Way Library in Cheltenham and went on English Defence League marches together, a court was told.

Clive Ceronne, 37, and Ashley Juggins, 21, were former members of the controversial group before starting the blaze at Masjid-E-Noor in Ryecroft Street, Gloucester.

Gloucester Crown Court was told yesterday the pair had been driving around and shouting abuse at Muslims on the evening before the arson.

Ceronne was jailed for four-and-a-half years and Juggins for three-and-a-half after the pair pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Juggins, of Brooklyn Road, in Cheltenham, poured petrol on the mosque’s steps before sparking a rag and setting it alight, causing £3,200 damage.

CCTV stills from the attack

The blaze came 27 days after the death of Drummer Lee Rigby, who was killed in Woolwich.

Prosecutor Peter Coombes said: “Ceronne used to work for P&L Security and was posted to Hester’s Way Library where they met.

“His previous employer said Juggins told people that Ceronne had taken him to an EDL rally and had expressed anti-Muslim views to his boss, but also said he had changed his views now.”

In mitigation, Dermot Clarke said Juggins was first introduced to the EDL marches four years ago, but had since stopped taking part.

Mr Clarke said: “He left after two years because, in his own words, he describes the meetings as degenerating into no more than throwing things at the police, however he remained in contact with Ceronne.

“I would be doing him a disservice if I did not mention the influence. He was unemployed, lacking sophistication and befriended by an older man that perhaps had an agenda.”

Since being remanded in prison, Juggins was said to have attended church three times a week.

The court was told Ceronne of Redwood Close in Gloucester had been the county’s divisional officer of the New British Union.

The group is said to be styled on Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists, which was banned in the 1940s, after it aligned itself with Nazi Germany.

On its website, Ceronne claimed to have been involved in “far right cults, including the EDL”.

Joe Maloney, for Ceronne, said: “He has had time to reflect on his beliefs, which is not to say he will change his beliefs, drastically over- night.”

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Men admit Gloucester mosque arson

“Two men have admitted an arson attack on a Gloucester mosque.

Clive Michael Ceronne, 37, and Ashley Henry Juggins, 20, both pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

The pair attempted to set fire to the Masjid-E-Noor in the city’s Ryecroft Street on June 18 this year.

Ceronne, a former security guard of Redwood Close, in Gloucester and Juggins, of Brooklyn Road in Cheltenham will be sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court on November 18.

The court previously heard the pair had bought lager, vodka and a petrol can of fuel from a London Road garage before using the fuel to set fire to the place of worship by owned by the Muslim Welfare Association.

A passer-by saw the fire and helped put it out, before severe damage was caused.

The attack came in the wake of the death of Drummer Lee Rigby.

The pair both denied a more serious charge of arson with intent to endanger life.

Prosecutor Peter Combe said this was acceptable to the crown when Juggins appeared via video link and Ceronne in the dock.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC ordered a pre-sentence report on the pair prior to their return to the same court next month.

He said: “You have both pleaded guilty to a very serious offence.

“I will however order a pre-sentence report, but I make it quite plain I am certainly not tying the hands of myself or anyone else by doing so.”

They were remanded in custody.” Link.

3CAFA previously ran this story in its early development exposing Ceronne’s links with the English Defence League and The New British Union (of fascists) here.

Courtesy of Twitter

Arrest made after alleged ‘racist’ attack in Cheltenham

Police have made an arrest after it was alleged a man was racially abused and then assaulted in Cheltenham.

A 22-year-old local man was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and assault.

He has been bailed to return to the police station on November 7.

Officers investigating are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.

A spokeswoman said: “At around 2.45pm yesterday, officers were called to the High Street, outside Poundland, to reports that a man had shouted a racist insult at a 34-year-old local man before throwing an open can of drink at him and assaulting him.

“The victim was not seriously injured.

“Officers are urging anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them by calling Gloucestershire Police on 101, quoting incident number 237 of September 24.”

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“Teen fined for tweet inciting racist chant at Cheltenham vs Hereford FA Cup game”

“A boy of 17 who used Twitter to encourage football fans to sing racist chants has been fined.

The teenager, from Ross-on-Wye, admitted a public order offence and was issued with the £80 fixed penalty notice by police on Friday.

Hereford United Anti-Fascists

Officers said they were taking action to prevent racist incidents at the Cheltenham Town v Hereford United match on Monday.

A large crowd is expected at the second round of the FA Cup at Whaddon Road.

Supt Rob Priddy, commander of the policing operation for the match, said: “Gloucestershire Police, supported by Cheltenham Town Football club, will do everything we can to identify any individuals or groups that engage in racist chanting.

“Where we have evidence to support an arrest we will do so and the individual risks not only a criminal prosecution but also a Football Banning Order, which would last for a minimum of three years.”

He added: “The vast majority of supporters that come to our games at Whaddon Road are able to enjoy themselves in a safe and respectful environment, but sadly there is a very small number whose behaviour is unacceptable and is not welcomed by the football clubs and genuine supporters.”

Original news article here

Three Counties Antifascists hope that other fans of both local clubs join us in condemning the disgusting racism spouted by this young man. Far-right groups have often used football grounds as areas for recruitment, and as a result we believe that supporter-led anti-racist initiatives are important.  We have good links with a number of Hereford United fans and we’re working on links with some Cheltenham fans. Lets kick racism out of football.

“Man jailed for racist attack on Cheltenham mosque”

A man has been jailed after leaving a pigs head tied to the gates of Cheltenham Mosque and daubing racist graffiti, in an apparent ‘revenge attack’ against Muslims after seeing members of the extremist ‘Muslims Against Crusades’ burn poppies on remembrance day.

Simon Parkes

The incident happened on November 13th 2010, when him and an unknown accomplice arrived late at night, hooded and masked up. They left the pigs head tied to the gate, and painted ‘Rag Heads Out’ on a wall.

Simon Parkes, 45, of Crown Close, Bishop’s Cleeve, was charged with racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage and a public order offence on July 14, 2012. On August 9 he pleaded guilty at Cheltenham Magistrates and yesterday he was been sentenced to four months at Gloucester Crown Court.

– Whilst 3 Counties Anti-Fascists fully condemn the racist actions of Simon Parkes and his indiscriminate targeting of Muslims, we would also like to point out that we fully oppose the hate-filled ideology behind ‘Muslims Against Crusades.’ We believe that they and groups such as the EDL and BNP are different sides of the same coin – both standing in the way of working class unity , freedom and equality.

More racism at another local hunt

Yet another local hunt has been accused of racism after followers of the Heythrop Hunt, which hunts in parts of Gloucestershire, were caught making racial slurs on the video below.

This comes after two other recent incidents of racism from the hunt masters of neighbouring hunts.

In January we reported on the arrest of 33-year-old huntsman Lee Peters, of the Herefordshire-based Ross Harriers, for racially abusing a hunt saboteur. Even the Daily Mail picked up on this one, publishing a surprisingly accurate article which you can see here.

Alan Morgan, previous huntsman for the Cotswold Vale Farmers Foxhounds, plead guilty to racial abuse aimed at a saboteur in Gloucestershire in December.  This followed a string of violent incidents at the same hunt. You can see more information on the case here.

3CAFA would like to send  a clear message to the hunts in this region, racism will not be tolerated. You have now put yourselves in the sights of anti-racist activists. We would also like to send our support to those who continue to expose this unacceptable behaviour and stand up to the scum every weekend.

Racism at Ross-on-Wye hunt

Lee Peters, huntsman with the Herefordshire-based Ross Harriers hunt, was arrested on Saturday after racially abusing a hunt saboteur who was present to try and stop illegal hunting from taking place.

The Hunt Saboteurs Association said, “As the Harriers left their meet at Penny Farthing, Aston Crews, Mr. Peters shouted racist remarks about a saboteur to other members of the hunt. Fortunately he was overheard by an independent witness who called the police.”

Only weeks ago Alan Morgan of the neighbouring Cotswold Vale Farmers Foxhounds, based in Gloucestershire, plead guilty to racially abusing another hunt saboteur and was fined £100 and ordered to pay £200 compensation to his victim.

If hunts in the region think it’s acceptable to use racial abuse and intimidation as a weapon then they’ll soon be attracting the attention of not only animal rights activists and the police, but also anti-racists and anti-fascists.

The Hunt Saboteurs Association press release on the incident is here.