A racist who launched a tirade of "utterly abhorrent" abuse at two reporters posing as a married Asian couple for a TV documentary has been told he deserved every day of his jail term.
Sean Ganderton, 23, "bullied and threatened" journalists Amil Khan and Tamanna Rahman as they went undercover in Southmead to film an episode of the BBC's Panorama programme.
Ganderton was jailed for two years at Bristol Crown Court in May after admitting racially aggravated harassment.
Yesterday the 23-year-old, who lived in Trowbridge Road, Southmead, before he was jailed, tried to challenge his sentence at London's Criminal Appeal Court, with lawyers arguing it was "too long" for his crime. But the appeal was dismissed by three judges, who said the sentence was "not excessive".
Mr Justice Lloyd Jones, sitting with Lord Justice Leveson and Mr Justice King, told the court the reporters who went to live in Ringwood Crescent between June and August last year secretly filmed material for the programme, entitled Panorama Undercover: Hate on the Doorstep, which was broadcast last October.
During that time, they were subjected to a barrage of racial insults, abuse and threatening behaviour from Ganderton and others.
The court heard on one occasion, Ganderton told Mr Khan he should be walking in the road, because then it would be "bye bye Paki", and punched him in the head.
Miss Rahman was also subjected to abuse, followed in the street and Ganderton threatened to cut her throat.
In a victim impact statement which was read to the court, she said she found the experience "distressing" and was stunned that Ganderton and others seemed to find it "amusing". She also said she "felt sorry" for other people who might have to face the same kind of treatment.
Sentencing him at Bristol Crown Court in June, Judge Michael Roach said Ganderton's behaviour was "utterly abhorrent", and that he had "bullied and threatened" the victims in a "cowardly way".
His lawyers argued his jail term was too long, saying the judge did not take enough account of the fact it was his first offence, his admission of guilt, or the fact he was of "low intelligence".
But, dismissing the appeal, Mr Justice Lloyd Jones said the sentence was "not even arguably excessive" for a crime of this nature.
Another man, 18-year-old Martin Durnell, of Ringwood Crescent, was sentenced to 21 months' youth custody alongside Ganderton in June. He was not before the court to appeal against his sentence yesterday.
This is Bristol
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
Police arrest EDL protest’s leader (UK)
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| Guramit Singh |
Guramit Singh (28), from Nottingham, was arrested yesterday (22nd December) on suspicion of intentionally causing religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress.
Cambridgeshire Police received two complaints after Mr Singh, an unofficial leader and spokesman for the EDL, gave a speech during the EDL’s two-hour protest in the city on Saturday, December 11.
Mr Singh was addressing around 1,000 EDL supporters and hundreds of onlooking members of the public during his speech, which was delivered outside Peterborough Magistrates’ Court and has since been uploaded onto YouTube.
A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire Police said: “A 28-year-old man from Nottingham was arrested on suspicion of intentionally causing religiously aggravated harassment alarm or distress, under section four of the public order act 1986.
“He was questioned in Nottingham and has now been bailed.
“Police are investigating whether any further criminal offences were committed during protests in Peterborough.
“The arrested man will return to a police station in Cambridgeshire in February.”
The EDL held its protest claiming to be against Islamic extremism and its perceived rise in England.
The protesters went from outside the Peterborough United Football Ground, in London Road, to Peterborough Magistrates’ Court in Lower Bridge Street, where they gathered for a static protest and were addressed by Mr Singh.
Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, the other unofficial leader of the EDL, confirmed that Mr Singh had been arrested.
Mr Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, said: “Guramit was arrested in the morning.
“The EDL are fully behind him and we don’t think there was anything wrong with his speech.
“It doesn’t surprise me that he has been arrested but it does disappoint me.”
The EDL’s decision to come to Peterborough to march and protest sparked the biggest policing operation in the history of the city.
Around 1,000 officers from 18 forces across the country were drafted in to police the EDL march as well as the counter demonstration which was organised by Peterborough Trades Union Council.
The operation cost Cambridgeshire Police an estimated £750,000 to pay overtime and draft extra officers in for the day. It resulted in 10 arrests on the day.
Police investigations are ongoing following the marches and officers have asked anyone with information to contact them on 0345 456 4564 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Petersborough Today
Police raid neo-Nazi youth group (Germany)
Authorities carried out dawn raids in five cities on members of the "Young Nationalist Democrats" (JN), whose activities and slogans bear "clear parallels" to the banned neo-Nazi organisation HDJ, police said. They searched apartments in Oranienburg, Ludwigshafen, Bad Dürkheim, Heidelberg and Osnabrück.
"Various blatantly right-wing extremist documents belonging to IG Fahrt & Lager were found during the searches," the police said in a statement. "The searches were intended to stop the upcoming national year-end camp."
The HDJ, whose names translates as "German Youth Loyal to the Homeland," ran Hitler Youth-style camps teaching children as young as six that foreigners and Jews were a threat to the nation. Authorities banned the group in March 2009.
The state Office for Criminal Investigation in Hannover warned there was a danger that the JN would break laws at their planned get-together, including incitement to racial hatred and wearing banned uniforms.
The Local Germany
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