CST Blog

Another antisemite convicted in Manchester

16 February 2010

Last week, CST blog reported about a mother and son in North Manchester who were convicted of a series of antisemitic attacks, in which they had driven around, shouting abuse at local Jews and squirting them with liquid.

Now, another man in the same area has been convicted of making racist remarks to a Jewish ambulance driver who was treating Jewish youths after they had been bitten by the man’s dog.  

CST’s Manchester office enjoys an especially close relationship with the local Jewish community and also with local police. These relationships have led to unusually high reporting rates of antisemitic crimes in the area. We sincerely hope that news of these convictions will encourage even greater co-operation and partnership in the future.

The Crown Prosecution service press release of this latest conviction is as follows:

BROUGHTON MAN CONVICTED OF RACIAL HARASSMENTOVER ANTI-SEMITIC REMARKS

 Greater Manchester Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said it will robustly prosecute hate crime against the Jewish community after a case in which a man admitted racially aggravated harassment

 Sentenced today at Minshull Street Crown Court, Clifford Nelson, 63, had previously pleaded guilty to the charges of racially aggravated harassment and owning a dog which caused injuries whilst dangerously out of control in a public place.

 The charges relate to an incident in March 2009 when Clifford Nelson racially abused a Jewish ambulance driver who was treating orthodox Jewish youths bitten by dogs owned by Clifford Nelson.

 Jill Yates, Salford Divisional Crown Prosecutor for the CPS said: “The seven dogs had escaped through an open door from Clifford Nelson’s house and, in two separate incidents, the dogs attacked groups of orthodox Jewish youths. After three of the youths were bitten, a private Hatzola ambulance driver treated their injuries.

 “The ambulance driver followed the pack of dogs to a Higher Broughton address where he was confronted by Clifford Nelson, the owner of the dogs, who shouted racist abuse at him in a threatening manner.

 “Nelson, who had been drinking on the evening of the attack, accepted that the dogs were out of control and that the racist abuse would cause the ambulance driver distress.

 “This conviction sends out a clear message - hate crime of any sort will not be tolerated on our streets. Using the Community Prosecutor approach, the CPS will continue to challenge anti-Semitism in Salford.”

 The Community Prosecutor scheme is part of a Government Green Paper on community justice in England and Wales.

 As part of the initiative, senior prosecuting lawyers work with police and communities to prioritise offences and provide a more locally-responsive service which works closely with all agencies.

 Prosecutors also utilise community impact statements, which give communities the chance to feed in their views on crimes in their area and the impact the crimes have had on local people.

 Nelson was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months, disqualified for owning more than one dog for five years, received a supervision order for 12 months and ordered to undertake 50 hours of unpaid work.

 ENDS

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