Prosecutions for antisemitic criminal acts

CST's website now includes a new section, listing successful UK prosecutions for antisemitic acts from 2003 to 2012. It can be accessed here and will be updated as necessary.

CST hopes that this list will encourage victims of antisemitism to report their experience and help press for action against the perpetrators.

There are 71 criminal prosecutions, involving 101 offenders; and two employment tribunals. The prosecutions are summarised in reverse date order, beginning in 2012 and going back to 2003.

For example, the 2012 section is as follows:

2012

December

• Philip Hayes was convicted at Liverpool Magistrates Court of an aggravated public order offence after making antisemitic remarks to a Jewish Member of Parliament. He was fined and ordered to pay court costs.

September

• Mark Symington was convicted at Perth Sheriff’s Court in September of making threatening antisemitic phone calls to his former wife during a three day drunken tirade, in which he had threatened to gas her, following their estrangement.

July

• Margaret Walker, an elderly BNP supporter, was convicted of distributing anti Jewish and anti-Muslim leaflets at Fareham Magistrates Court and given a non-custodial Anti Social Behaviour Order, in July.
• Mohammed Khalifa, 19, Aimen Mohamed, 19, Mohammed Jawad, 21, and Haider Al-Fardan, 21, were convicted of racially motivated attacks against Jews in July, after they had driven through the north London suburb of Golders Green the previous December throwing eggs at passersby and shouting anti-Jewish abuse. The four were all found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment and ordered to pay fines, court costs and compensation.

May

• In May, veteran political campaigner Norman Scarth was convicted of racially aggravated harassment at Manchester City Magistrates Court, fined and subjected to a restraining order to prevent him approaching a Jewish judge who lived in Leeds, or any synagogue or Jewish community institution. Although no political extremist, he had subjected the Jewish judge to a campaign of threats following his conviction for other offences.