Britain First deputy leader guilty after hurling abuse at Muslim woman in hijab

The deputy leader of far-right group Britain First has been found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment after hurling abuse at a Muslim woman wearing a hijab in front of her four young children.

Jayda Fransen, 30, was fined nearly £2,000 at Luton and South Bedfordshire Magistrates' Court for wearing a political uniform and shouting at Sumayyah Sharpe during a "Christian patrol" of Bury Park in Luton on Saturday January 23.

Fransen admitted telling Ms Sharpe that Muslim men force women to cover up to avoid being raped "because they cannot control their sexual urges", adding "that's why they are coming into my country raping women across the continent".

But she denied the words were intended to be offensive.

"The reason I said them was because from everything I have studied, I understand them to be true," Fransen said in her defence.

District Judge Carolyn Mellanby said she believed the group had gone to the area "looking for trouble" - but said Ms Sharpe had been mistaken as an "easy target".

"I have no doubt the words used towards her (Ms Sharpe), in her expression, represented everything against her and what she believes in," she said.

"In other words, offensive, insulting, abusive and, in my judgment, intended to cause offence and alarm and distress to her religion."

Around 20 Britain First members took part in the "patrol" of Bury Park, distributing branded newspapers which had a front page reading "World War Three has begun - Islam against the world", the court heard.

Ms Sharpe, who was shopping with her four young children at the time, refused a newspaper from the group.

Giving evidence on Wednesday, she said it was at this point that Fransen, from South Norwood, south London, crossed the road and confronted her.

The incident was captured on camera by members of Britain First.

Ms Sharpe told the court: "She came across, shouting at me, saying 'Why are you covered?', and she said that quite a few times. I told her it was my choice that I cover.

"I then turned to the camera and I said, 'Film me, I'm British, I'm a British Muslim. It's my choice to wear this clothing and it's my right'."

She added: "I called her a slapper, I admit, and I told her to piss off because I was so angry at that point that she had done that in front of my children."

In video footage shown to court, Fransen was seen brandishing a white cross as she told Ms Sharpe that Muslim men made women cover themselves so that they were not raped.

Following the incident, Ms Sharpe said she had to go home and explain the meaning of the word rape to her young children.

She also told the court her four-year-old son was now scared to leave the house in case they ran into the group.

District Judge Mellanby described Fransen's behaviour as "shocking" and commended Ms Sharpe for the "eloquent" account of events she had provided to the court.