Britain First leaders guilty of religiously-aggravated harassment

The leader and deputy leader of far-right group Britain First have been found guilty of religiously-aggravated harassment.

Paul Golding, 36, and Jayda Fransen, 32, both of Penge, south-east London, stood trial in January at Folkestone Magistrates' Court charged with three and four counts respectively of the hate crime.

They were arrested in May last year as part of an investigation into the distribution of leaflets and online videos which were posted during a trial at Canterbury Crown Court in the same month, after which three Muslim men and a teenager were convicted of rape and jailed.

Judge Justin Barron said their words and actions "demonstrated hostility" towards Muslims and the Muslim faith.

He found Fransen guilty of three charges and Golding guilty of one charge but dismissed the other counts against them.

The judge said: "I have no doubt it was their joint intention to use the facts of the case (in Canterbury) for their own political ends.

"It was a campaign to draw attention to the race, religion and immigrant
background of the defendants."

They are due to be sentenced on Wednesday afternoon.

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