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

Black Country mosque bomber Pavlo Lapshyn jailed for life

A racist terrorist who planted bombs at three mosques in the Black Country and murdered a man was today jailed for life.

Pavlo Lapshyn will spend a minimum of 40 years behind bars after mounting his campaign of terror across the West Midlands.

His sentencing was delayed after a suspect package was found in the court sparking an evacuation of the Old Bailey.

Staff and members of the public were told to leave the building shortly after 1pm while investigations were carried out.

After the unnamed item was checked thought officials said it was not a danger to the public.

No –one was detained in relation to the drama.

Jailing Lapshyn at the Old Bailey today, Judge Nigel Sweeney said: “You clearly hold extreme right wing, white supremacist views.

“Such views, hatred and motivation, are abhorrent to all right thinking people and have no place whatsoever in our multi faith, multi-cultural society.

“You were intent on finding a Muslim to murder, it seems to me you acted alone and were motivated by your extreme, appalling prejudices.”

West Midlands Police footage of the interview with jailed terrorist Pavlo Lapshyn.

The 25-year-old Ukranian had wanted to start a race war and told police he targeted his victims simply because they were not white.

But today Lapshyn, who was described by police as ‘extremely dangerous’, was handed the lengthy prison term.

The nail bomber’s 90-day campaign of terror began just five days after he entered the country.

He stabbed Mohammed Saleem three times in the back, killing the 82-year-old as he walked home from evening prayers in Birmingham on April 29.

On June 21, he targeted Walsall’s Aisha Mosque in Rutter Street, Caldmore, when he planted explosive devices in a child’s lunch box at the mosque gates.

Then seven days later he placed a bomb on a roundabout near Wolverhampton Central Mosque.

But his most serious attack was at Kanz-ul-Iman mosque in Tipton, where he packed hundreds of nails in a bomb on a railway embankment next to the mosque’s car park.

Pavlo Lapshyn is seen blowing up a tree believed to be in Ukraine in footage released by West Midlands Police.

Worshippers were only saved from serious harm as Friday afternoon prayers were being held an hour later than usual on the first Friday of Ramadan.

Lapshyn said he had planted the bombs because he wanted to ‘increase racial hatred’.

On Monday Lapshyn admitted murdering Mr Saleem, causing an explosion on July 12 and engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts between April 24 and July 18.

Link

“UKIP county councillor Eric Kitson facing the sack for posting racist comments on Facebook”

Eric Kitson ‘racist comments’

A NEW UKIP councillor in Worcestershire has sparked fury amid allegations he unleashed a series of racist abuse online.

Eric Kitson, who won a seat in Stourport just 11 days ago, is facing the sack today over a cartoon of a Muslim being spit-roasted on a fire fuelled by copies of the Koran on his Facebook page.

In one comment, which was believed to have been posted since becoming a councillor, he said in reference to Muslim women: “Hang um all first then ask questions later.”

A raft of anti-Jewish remarks have also appeared on his Facebook site, and in a separate post he has called for the repatriation of “six million migrants and refugees”.

There was also false claims posted on his site that the Rothschild banking dynasty had controlled Nazi Germany’s leader Adolf Hitler.

His Facebook page has also called for Muslim women to be hanged, suggested Islam is “a cancer” that should be eradicated “with nuclear weapons” and expressd support for UKIP leader Nigel Farage teaming up with BNP boss Nick Griffin.

His site also called for the world to “unite against Islam” and supports the far-right English Defence League.

The pages have been re-published on a website called Stand for Peace, which has condemned his actions.

The Muslim community has called the rants “sickening” and a petition is being circulated around mosques tonight calling for his removal.

Councillor Adrian Hardman, the leader of Worcestershire County Council, said: “This looks like criminal activity because he’s inciting racial hatred – he should do the honourable thing and resign because he has brought shame on the county.”

The attacks are currently being investigated by UKIP HQ in London, and have been condemned as “disgusting” by senior figures at Worcestershire County Council this morning.

Councillor Kitson has only just been through training for being an elected politician, and is one of four UKIP members to have just been elected to the authority for the first time ever.

If he is removed from his position it would be the shortest spell any elected politician has ever had in County Hall – and would trigger a by-election.

A UKIP spokesman told the Worcester News: “The party is looking into it because we need to find out exactly what has gone on here.

“We don’t want to dismiss him outright until we investigate it.

“Our understanding is that he has offered to resign over it, but we need to establish what’s happened.

“A conversation will be taking place and if we find out he has behaved inappropriately, he would have to go.”

Councillor Peter McDonald, leader of Worcestershire’s Labour group, said: “These remarks are disgusting and it brings the whole office of being a councillor into disrepute.

“It’s a terrible mess, he has let himself down, the council down, and the voters who elected him in down – they did not vote for this.

“It’s terribly sad and pretty shocking what he has done – this man is now an elected councillor.”

The authority has already had one request for the Standards Committee to investigate, and has released a statement in the last few minutes.

Simon Mallinson, head of legal and democratic services, said: “Whilst we would avoid commenting on any individual case at this stage, elected members are expected to comply with the council’s code of conduct when they act in their role as county councillors.

“Any complaint that this code has been breached when acting in such a role will be carefully considered.”

Coun Kitson has yet to respond to calls from the press, nor has Wyre Forest’s UKIP branch.

Muslim Mumshad Ahmed, a former county councillor, said: “I am sickened and disgusted by this, I cannot believe the hatred he is creating.

“I will be taking a petition around mosques tonight to get people to sign it, this man is doing something very dangerous – when a Koran was burned there was riots around the world.

“I cannot see why he’s done this.”

Link

See the rest of Kitson’s facebook posts here

“Attacker racially abused victim then hit him with pool cue”

“AN argument over playing pool in a Worcestershire pub led a 31-year-old man to racially abuse another man and hit him on the head with a cue.

Christopher Spires, of Churchill Road, Sedgeberrow, Evesham, was jailed for nine months after the court was told he swore at Gideon George and made references to him being black.

Alex Warren, prosecuting, told Worcester Crown Court Mr George had gone to Ruby Jack’s, Bewdley Street, Evesham, on August 30 last year with friends.

They put money on the pool table for three games but during the first one, Spires started leaning on the table and nudging Mr George as he played.

When the game finished, Mr George started to set up the next one but Spires said it was his turn and made a racist comment. He then grabbed Mr George’s cue, reversed it and swung it with both hands, hitting him with the thicker end just above the left eye.

Mr George took hold of the cue and they both fell to the floor before being separated.

As police led Spires away, he saw Mr George, who needed three stitches to the cut, and shouted “I’m glad your face got smashed in,” and made more racist comments. He then spat towards Mr George, who said in a victim statement he was now wary of going out at night in Evesham.

 Nicholas Roberts, defending, said Spires was deeply ashamed of his actions.

He had drunk eight cans of beer and some brandy and whisky on the night of the incident. He said Spires was not a racist and would not have made the comments if he had not been drinking.

“He accepts his comments were deeply offensive,” Mr Roberts said.

The court was told that he had 27 convictions for 87 offences but the majority of these were thefts to finance his 10-year heroin and crack cocaine habit, which he was now taking steps to tackle.

Spires pleaded guilty at South Worcestershire Magistrates Court to the offences in December and was committed for sentence.

He was given six months for assault causing actual bodily harm and three months consecutively for racial harassment.”

Worcester evening news

“English Defence League extremists hold demonstration in Solihull town centre” (Birmingham Mail)

“Shoppers look on in horror as sixty supporters of the far-right group wave flags and shout anti-Islamist chants

Sixty English Defence League supporters have held a demonstration Solihull town centre (12.01.13)

Shoppers at the Touchwood Centre in Solihull looked on in horror this afternoon (Saturday) as the EDL far right extremists waved flags and shouted anti-Islamist chants as they passed by.

Pav Sehra, 22, from Solihull, saw the commotion as she left the main shopping area and saw the protesters at Brueton Gardens, on Warwick Road at around 1pm.

She said: “I think it is ridiculous.

“They shouldn’t be allowed to do it in public.”

The demonstration was organised by Matthew Pile, who runs the EDL Birmingham Division’s blog and is based in Sutton Coldfield.

Members came from as far as south east London to take part.

A member of the Birmingham Division, who was acting as a security for the EDL on the day, said: “We have liaised with police and the police have liaised with us.

“We were expecting around 50 people to turn up but we’ve got a few more than that.

“It is peaceful.

“No anti groups have shown up but I don’t know what will happen if they do.”

West Midlands Police said that they were aware of the demonstration and would be deploying officers to the area.

Right wing extremists from the British National Party said they did not want to be associated with the event.

BNP member Ian Stock, from Sheldon, called the Sunday Mercury to distance himself from the rally.

He said: “They have just sent me a text message saying they are holding an demonstration against Islamification in the West Midlands.

“We do not agree with anything they are doing today.

“I saw what they did in Dudley.”

Mr Stock was referring to violent scenes in Dudley as the EDL protested against the opening of a mosque there in June 2010.

Several people were injured when bricks and metal security fences were launched at riot police and 21 arrests were made.

Violence flared as United Against Fascism staged a counter protest at the same time.

A 16 year-old girl suffered a broken leg and six people were knocked over “like skittles” by a car fleeing the far right protesters in one demonstration.

Shops in Dudley had closed early and some boarded up windows as the EDL demonstrators descended on the town.

* Matthew Pile has been charged with attacking a man on the bus in the city centre.”

Original article

Great write up on indymedia “EDL outnumbered by trees in Solihull“

Racist Huntsman Found Guilty of Harassment

Hunt saboteurs association Press Release November 15th 2012

David Lee peters, huntsman of the Ross Harriers hunt, was today found guilty of racially aggrevated harassment and threatening behaviour at Hereford Magistrates Court.  He received fines and costs totalling £3000 and was ordered to pay £200 to the victim of the  abuse.

The convictions relate to an incident from January this year when hunt saboteurs were present to ensure no illegal hunting took place.

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.

Mr. Peters conviction comes just weeks after Paul Standen, a supporter of the Ross Harriers, pleaded guilty to assault after punching a saboteur in the face.

Lee Moon, spokesperson for the Hunt saboteurs association,  stated: “Decent people know that racism is completely unacceptable.  The hunting community however appear to be stuck in some kind of time warp where it is still ok to use this kind of disgusting language.  Maybe they would like to join us in the 21st Century  and realise that racism, along with the senseless murder of animals in the name of sport, is something that society no longer tolerates.  We hope the Ross Harriers do the right thing and sack Mr. Peters immediately to show that they do not condone racism”

All Press enquiries:

07774 279133
press@huntsabs.org.uk
http://www.huntsabs.org.uk

Case background

David Lee Peters – Ross Harriers – Racist Scum

Three Counties Anti-fascists would like to send our solidarity and support to the hunt sabs who go out and oppose these animal abusing scumbags, and racists, every week, especially our local comrades in the Three Counties Hunt Saboteurs. Keep fighting the good fight. 

Bristol Anti-Fascists Say: Stop the EDL

Let’s defend ourselves against the English Defence League!

The EDL are marching in Bristol on the 14th of July. The counter- mobilisation is in full swing, so get involved. There have been alot of posts on Bristol Indymedia about the EDL demo.

Now is the time for our call to action. Come to Templemeads area and line the route at 10am on the 14th to give them the welcome they deserve. Stay alert. Stay mobile. Bring your mates

There are many many ways to show your opposition to the EDL: don’t let them march, don’t give ’em a lift in your taxi, put posters up in shops, don’t serve them drinks, raise awareness about their farcical attempts to disguise their homophobia, chat to work colleagues, decorate the city…. do whatever you feel comfortable with but now is the time to get a crew together and take action against racism in our city.

We want to meet them at the station to stop them marching for any distance. We will resist them wherever they turn and we will be watching them. Let’s defend ourselves against the EDL! Zero tolerance of fascism on our streets.

For more information email bristolantifascists@riseup.net Or see http://antifascistnetwork.wordpress.com Twitter: @stopedl #stopedl

Indymedia posts:http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/709150 http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/708817 Someone else has also set up a facebook page: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/195613943884582/

*For translations of the call out in Farsi, Arabic, Somali and Polish see here

*Update July 1st Bristol indymedia “EDL Bristol March Organiser Photographed Giving Nazi Salute at Bradford Demo”

*Update July 4th This is Bristol “Anti-fascists call for mass opposition to EDL march in Bristol”

*Update July 12th “Bust card and other stuff” and “EDL and BNP up the racism in the lead up to their Bristol demo”

*Update July 13th “Anti-EDL Demonstration in Bristol – Information”

*Update July 13th article from The Network for Police Monitoring

John Shaw (Infidels) leaves Llamas to starve to death

“A HERD of llamas starved after being deprived of food on a holding in Yorkshire, a court was told.

Harrogate magistrates heard five of John Shaw’s llamas died, while the other animals were found in an emaciated state in a frozen field on the outskirts of Knaresborough in February, with scant grazing, an empty ring-feeder and dilapidated shelter.

Shaw, 41, of Littondale Avenue, Knaresborough, said he could not afford to feed them.

He pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering leading to death and two counts of not providing a suitable diet and failing to protect the llamas from pain, suffering and disease.

He was jailed for 12 weeks, suspended for a year, and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work, with £3,050 costs, and given a 10-year ban on keeping animals.”

source

*Pictures from Harrogate News

“Footballer to face trial for ‘racist’ Twitter message”

A WORCESTER City Football Club player who likened killing illegal immigrants to a popular video game will now appear in a criminal court in a U-turn decision by prosecutors and police.

City midfielder Lee Smith, aged 28, will appear at Gloucester Magistrates Court on Friday, May 18, charged with writing racially aggravated words likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to the public say police.

It leaves the player’s future at St George’s Lane in doubt, with his contract up at the end of the season.

Smith has always denied any wrong-doing since posting the comments on Armistice Day last year, and apologised for any offence given at the time as we reported.

He made the comments on his now deleted Twitter social media account sparking an online row, with some branding him a racist – a claim he denied.

On November 11, he posted: “Respect to all the heroes 11/11/11 now to all the illegal *****, **** off out of are country all call of duty could become a reality – kill um.”

Smith later said he had “not meant to offend anyone”.

At the time, police gave Smith a stern talking to but said there would be “no further action against him”.

It has since emerged over the weekend that Gloucestershire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have decided to issue Smith a summons to court over his comments following what the police force had said was “a joint review of the circumstances of the case”. When asked what had prompted the review, a spokeswoman for the force said “where a decision has been made for no further action [to be taken] that decision can then be reviewed. That is why he was issued a court summons, rather than being charged,” she said.

Asked if the review had taken place because of pressure from the public, the force spokeswoman said it was not the case.

“We weren’t getting calls about it – the review was carried out jointly by police and the CPS.”

Colin Layland, city’s vice-chairman, said the club had only become aware Smith had been summonsed to court at the weekend.

He said Smith’s contract ran until the end of the season and “any decisions on the football side will be taken by the manager”.

Carl Heeley, club manager, said “everything had already been said” on the matter and declined to comment further.

Mr Smith declined to comment.

Article taken from The Worcester Evening News Tuesday 17th April 2012.

Europe’s Fascists Threw a Lame Hate Party

By Henrick Saltzstein, Henry Langston (vice.com)

Aspirations of a unified pan-European Defence League collapsed and died on Saturday in the Danish city of Aarhus, as a rather meagre selection of euro-nationalists were sent running by anti-fascist rioters. This was the English Defence League’s second attempt at a European counter-jihad knees up. The first one ended with them getting a spanking in Amsterdam by Ajax fans and local antifa, and this meeting went pretty much the same way.

Despite the organisers’ hopes that thousands of participators would show up at the Defence League rally (dubbed the “Counter Jihad Meeting”) this Saturday, even optimistic numbers estimate that, at most, 200 were present. Meanwhile, nearby, up to 4,000 anti-fascists held a rally condemning the meeting and vowing to disrupt it at all costs.

What kept the nationalists away? Well, there were rumours going round that the head of the Danish chapter had tried to enlist local nazis, and since the Defence Leaguers are not that big on nazi comparisons and drape themselves in Israeli flags every chance they get, that was a sizable spanner in the works. Subsequently quite a few international speakers cancelled. Even early on, the signs indicated that this would be a pretty lame hate party.

In a last ditch effort to amass a decent turnout, the Danish Defence League announced that Freja Lindgren would be spearheading the rally. Here is a picture from her Facebook profile:

OK, so Danish fascist babes might not be quite as alluring as British fascist babes, but Imma declare a fatwa on any pure-blooded male who can look at this without getting sweaty in his pants.

Here is another photo of Freja taken – from the front – during her opening speech:

Photo: Magnus Holm/Politiken

Depressingly, on the evidence of her patter, racists sound the same wherever they are in the world. (I’d hoped at least for a little regional variation, but there was absolutely no sign that free thought had played a part at any point in the writing of this speech.)  Freja moaned a lot about benefits and “Islaminism”, and cast the Defence Leaguers in the role of “freedom fighters” and “patriots”, without ever coming close to defining what that freedom might be or entail. If you have a hankering to hear the speech in its entirety, go here.

Photo: Anthon Unger/Ekstra Bladet

While the Defence League meeting was unfolding, left-wing and immigrant rioters attempted to cross police barriers to square off with the right-wingers. This prompted the police to prematurely shut down the rally and escort the Defence Leaguers to safety.

Photo: Claus Bonnerup/Ekstra Bladet

photo: Claus Bonnerup/Ekstra Bladet

They mainly ended up fighting it out with the cops until the Defence Leaguers received a police escort out of the city. Here’s a video shot from inside the Defence League bus. The language is mainly Danish, some English and a little German. Watch till at least 2:36.

Humiliated and dejected, the respective Defence Leagues made their way home, but for the EDL and their leader Tommy Robinson, the humiliation didn’t end there. The next day Robinson was booked in for an appearance on the Sunday morning BBC debate show The Big Questions. Sporting a comb-over and suit jacket, Tommy looked well out of his depth and frequently stuttered. Highlights included him admitting to assaulting one of his own members, frequently confusing extremist Islamists with Muslims in general and mis-quoting EDL “Legend” Winston Churchill. Watch the depressing hilarity in full here: