A British man has been jailed for “inciting hatred” at a non-violent anti-immigration protest in Leeds, during which he allegedly mocked Muslims and made “insults” about Allah.
Phil Hoban, 48, founder of the “pedophile hunter” Predator Exposure group, was sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to hurling racist slurs at pro-Palestinian counter-protesters during a non-violent anti-immigration demonstration in Leeds on August 3, the BBC reported. Reports.
The court heard that during the protests, Hoban imitated the way Muslims prayed and made derogatory remarks about Allah “to mock their religion”, and he also reportedly rubbed his lips “at people of colour”.
The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Carle KC, told Hoban that the actions of him and his group were “intended to incite hatred”.
The father-of-three told the court he was not racist and claimed during police interview that he had not been referring to Allah, but a man called “Alan”.
The non-violent protests in Leeds came amid unrest across the UK following last month’s stabbing attack in Southport in which a Rwandan migrant killed three young girls.
Three men have been jailed in West Yorkshire this week for offences relating to the disturbances. Read more here https://t.co/6V3XyCqTW9 pic.twitter.com/MPvk4k50To
— West Yorkshire Police (@WestYorksPolice) August 15, 2024
Hoban also said he had decided to step down from the Predator Exposure group he founded, which he claims to have exposed 440 “online predators,” calling the decision a “real shock.”
This group: Imprisonment Former Irish television producer Kieran Creavan was sentenced to 10 years in prison for child sexual assault and exploitation after he was tricked into thinking he was meeting with a 13-year-old girl during a Predator Exposure sting operation.
During the trial, Hoban said he had worked with police on a number of occasions to track down paedophiles.
Alongside Hoban, 35-year-old James Gettings Imprisoned During the same August 3 protest, he was sentenced to eight months in prison by Leeds Magistrates’ Court for “religiously aggravated harassment/anxiety/distress by using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour”.
The court was told that, like Mr Hoban, Mr Gettings had mocked the way Muslims prayed.
Gettings reportedly told police he was “disgusted” by his actions and had been disowned by his family as a result. He said “three seconds of madness” had ruined his life.
Meanwhile, Leeds Magistrates’ Court sentenced Simon Scott, 49, to 10 weeks in prison for making “grossly offensive social media posts”. The contents of the messages have not been made public.
Blasphemy law? Nonviolent man who shouted ‘Who is Allah?’ during England riots gets 18 months in prison https://t.co/5D2ecuhe6s
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) August 15, 2024
Commenting on the incidents, Deputy Chief Superintendent Osman Khan, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “Our investigations into those involved in the disturbances continue and we remain determined to identify all offenders and take robust action.”
“Disorderly and racist crimes will have zero tolerance in our county and anyone who thinks this type of behavior is acceptable will be hunted down and locked up.”
“As we have seen, the government and the courts, like us, are taking a firm stance against this heinous crime.
“We will continue to use all investigative tools available to us to bring those involved in the recent unrest to justice.”
BBC: Man arrested for ‘anti-establishment speech’ on social media goes on trialhttps://t.co/xYLJWyp0V4
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) August 14, 2024
