UK far-right figure retweeted by Trump jailed for hate crime

Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen who caused a storm when Donald Trump retweeted one of her videos has been found guilty of religious harassment.

Deputy leader of the far-right group, Jayda Fransen (centre) and its leader Paul Golding (left)

Deputy leader of the far-right group, Jayda Fransen (centre) and its leader Paul Golding (left) Source: Press Association

The leaders of a far-right British party, one of whom gained widespread attention after a message she posted online was retweeted by US President Donald Trump, have been found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment.

Paul Golding, 36, leader of the anti-immigration Britain First party, and his deputy Jayda Fransen, 31, were convicted of filming and harassing people they believed were involved in a rape trial involving a number of Muslim men at a court in Kent.
They posted their actions on the Britain First website and also delivered offensive leaflets to homes in the area where those involved in the case lived, prosecutors told Folkestone Magistrates Court.

"The prosecution case demonstrated these defendants were not merely exercising their right to free speech but were instead aiming religiously aggravated abuse at innocent members of the public," Chief Crown Prosecutor Jaswant Narwal said in a statement.

Golding was jailed for 18 weeks and Fransen 36.

Newly-elected Liberal senator and former military general Jim Molan has attracted criticism for sharing Britain First videos on social media.

One was titled 'Muslim Thugs Beat Girl in Holland', while a second claims to show Muslim men attacking French police cars.

Last November, Mr Trump retweeted anti-Muslim videos posted by Fransen, drawing condemnation from across Britain including Prime Minister Theresa May.

Mr Trump initially fired back at Ms May, saying she should focus on "the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom", but in January he said he had not intended to cause offence in Britain and his retweet was not an endorsement.

"If you're telling me they're horrible people, horrible racist people, I would certainly apologise if you would like me to do that," Mr Trump said in an interview with a British broadcaster.

Fransen, who was convicted last year for abusing a Muslim woman, said at the time she believed Mr Trump had been "railroaded" into making an apology.


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2 min read
Published 8 March 2018 6:18am
Updated 8 March 2018 3:29pm


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