Britain First deputy leader 'hurled abuse at Muslim woman in hijab'
The deputy leader of far-right group Britain First hurled abuse at a Muslim woman for wearing a hijab while brandishing a white cross in front of her four young children, a court has heard.
Jayda Fransen, 30, is alleged to have launched a tirade of abuse at Sumayyah Sharpe during a Britain First "patrol" of Bury Park in Luton at around 1pm on Saturday January 23.
Fransen, who lives near South Norwood in south London, is accused of telling Ms Sumayyah that Muslim men force women to cover up to avoid them being raped "because they cannot control their urges", Luton and Bedfordshire Magistrates' Court heard.
Fransen was elected deputy leader of Britain First in the autumn of 2014.
She denies one charge of religiously aggravated assault, one count of failure to surrender to police bail and one count of wearing a political uniform.
