North East BNP chief accused of chasing children with knife (UK)

North East BNP chief Adam Walker drove his car at a group of youngsters before brandishing a knife and threatening a child, a court heard.

The 42-year-old allegedly chased the children, who were on BMX bikes, over a village green in Tudhoe, Spennymoor, County Durham, in his Land Rover car after asking them to leave a celebration of St George’s Day.

Now the BNP’s national organiser has appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court where he entered no plea to one charge of affray, one charge of driving a motor vehicle dangerously and three of criminal damage charges.

It is claimed the disorder occurred during the village celebrations on April 23 this year.

Alison Nunn, prosecuting, told the court that in police interview, the children, aged 11 and 12, described being “terrified” during the alleged incident.

She said: “These three children gave evidence that whilst they were at a fun day they were told to leave and to get off the bouncy castle. They say that Adam Walker chased them in his vehicle. He pursued them across the green in his Land Rover whilst they were on their bikes.”

She also described Walker doing a “handbrake turn” in the direction of the children. Ms Nunn added: “It is then said he had a knife with him and he has brandished the knife.

“One of the children is clear in his police interview that Adam Walker put that knife to his face and made a threat.”

It is just over a year since Walker was cleared of racial intolerance by a teaching watchdog after describing immigrants as “savage animals”.

Walker, who also claimed that Britain was becoming a “dumping ground for the filth of the Third World”, said after the General Teaching Council (GTC) hearing that prospective employers would “be knocking on my door to employ me”.

The former teacher at Houghton Kepier Sports College, in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, was brought before a GTC disciplinary panel after posting items on an internet discussion on the popularity of the BNP in February and March 2007.

The panel heard that Walker used a school laptop to make the postings and an inquiry launched at Houghton Kepier established that Mr Walker spent up to eight hours using the laptop for purposes not connected to his school duties.

He was cleared of racial intolerance but found guilty of using a school computer for personal use during lesson time.

The panel imposed a Conditional Registration Order which allows Walker to maintain his status as a registered teacher subject to him meeting certain conditions.

Walker, of Winchester Court, Spenny- moor, will appear back at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court on October 7.

Journal Live

BNP man on suicide watch (UK)

A former British National Party organiser who once subjected a woman to a sickening racist attack is on suicide watch in jail.

Peter King appeared at Hartlepool Magistrates’ Court in custody after being brought from the hospital wing of Holme House Prison, where he is serving an 18-week prison sentence.

He was due to stand trial for punching a man on February 24, but pleaded guilty before the hearing started.

The 39-year-old was given a 22-month conditional discharge after the court heard he has lost four stone in weight in just two months behind bars and has become a “broken man”.

John Relton, mitigating, told magistrates: “The man you see before you today is very different to 12 months ago.

“He has spent the last couple of months on the hospital wing in prison as he has been unable to keep himself safe.

“There are issues with his state of mind and self-harm.”

He said that King, of Bluebell Way, Hartlepool, is worried about his family and losing his house as he needs to work to pay his mortgage.

Mr Relton added: “He is in many ways a broken man.

“He’s lost 4st in weight and is being watched all the time on the hospital wing because of the concerns people have for him.”

The Hartlepool Mail reported how King had originally narrowly escaped jail for saying to a stunned Sajida Islam “go back to your own country” when he saw her in the aisles of Hartlepool’s Tesco Extra store, in Burn Road.

“He then launched into a tirade of racist abuse on October 14 last year.

He then threatened his neighbour, 20-year-old student Nicholas Thompson, with an ornamental mace on Christmas Eve.

King admitted racially-aggravated harassment and possessing an offensive weapon at Teesside Crown Court and Judge Peter Bowers sentenced him to 10 months prison suspended for 18 months with supervision.

But despite being told to keep out of trouble, King breached the sentence when he was arrested in London on March 17 and was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

He was given 18 weeks in prison at Southwark Crown Court on June 15 for the offence.

Helen Kesterton, prosecuting at yesterday’s hearing, said: “At 5pm, the victim was walking alone along Oxford Road.

“He became aware of a man and a boy on pedal cycles.

“As he passed them he was punched in the mouth.

“He tasted blood and felt pain instantly and had a cut on the inside of his lip.

“The defendant went past him laughing loudly.”

Mr Relton said King and the man have a long-standing feud with one another, and the victim had been cautioned for an attack on King before the incident.

He added: “He has also threatened my client’s partner.

“What has happened here is that he has been with his son, and this gentleman is intimidating so he acted first.”

Peterlee Mail

EDL 'to gather' despite march ban (UK)

Members of the English Defence League (EDL) are expected to gather in a town, despite a planned march being banned amid fears of violence.

The march in Telford, Shropshire, was vetoed by Home Secretary Theresa May to protect "communities and property", but members of the group can still gather to protest.

Telford & Wrekin Council requested a ban under Section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986, but the local authority said it still expects the EDL to gather in Church Street, Wellington.

Mrs May said: "It is clear that a ban is needed to ensure communities and property are protected. What this ban does not do however is stop an EDL presence or a static demonstration in Telford this weekend.

"West Mercia Police have a significant number of officers being deployed to police any EDL presence. I encourage all local people to work with the police to ensure community relations are not undermined."

The council said there will still be a "significant multi-agency operation" in Wellington.

Councillor Shaun Davies said: "We welcome the fact that the Home Secretary has approved our request for the marches to be banned. However, there will still be a significant multi-agency operation in Wellington in anticipation of a static protest."

Chief Inspector Keith Gee, from West Mercia Police, said they would do everything possible to keep any assembly peaceful. He said: "We shall do everything possible to ensure that any assembly remains peaceful and poses the least amount of disruption possible for those not involved in the assembly.

"To that end, we are still planning for a major police operation, involving our multi-agency partners, and we will have significant numbers of police officers out on the streets to reassure our communities.

"I would like to reassure the communities in and around Wellington that we have the resources available and the experience to deal with any incidents on the day."

Belfast Telegraph