| Hateland -
Articles |
08/03/02
- `Klan Man' jailed for race taunts
Emma Pearson
Newsdesk@Wme.Co.Uk
A FORMER leader of the Ku Klux Klan in Britain who racially
harassed a shopkeeper after the September 11 terrorist
attacks has been jailed for three months.
Allan Beshella, 52, of Tonna Road, Maesteg, was found
guilty of racially aggravated harassment of an Asian shopkeeper
by Port Talbot magistrates in January. His case was transferred
for sentencing to Cardiff Crown Court where Judge Christopher
Llewellyn-Jones QC yesterday jailed Beshella for three
months and placed him under a two-year restraining order.
The court heard that Beshella entered the Caerau Discount
Store and Off-Licence in Caerau Road, Maesteg, and harassed
the 37-year-old Muslim owner Mohammed Nawaz on two occasions.
Ieuan Bennett, prosecuting, said Beshella first entered
the shop on September 14 last year when he questioned
Mr Nawaz and his wife, Nusrat, about their religion and
about his opinions of the terrorist attacks in America.
He said, "He said that he was a member of the Ku
Klux Klan, the right-wing American racist organisation.
Before he left the shop he made other remarks to Mr Nawaz
that caused him to be frightened of the defendant. "He
kept saying words to the effect of `Kill the Jews', `I
hate Jews' - saying those words repeatedly."
Beshella returned with a friend on September 28 and the
pair began questioning Mr Nawaz about what the Pakistan
government was going to do about the Taleban and why Muslim
women wear a veil. A shop assistant told police she heard
Beshella use the term "black bastard".
Mr Bennett said, "Mr Nawaz was very frightened by
the second visit." When Beshella was arrested he
denied making offensive remarks, saying his comments may
have been misinterpreted.
He denied trying to frighten Mr Nawaz and his wife but
admitted telling them he was the "Klan Man"
because "that's who I am". He told police he
had lived in California for about 20 years, but denied
any involvement with any extremist organisation. Martyn
Kelly, defending, said Beshella, who is married with a
daughter, was involved in "an organ-isation"
while living in America.
The judge said Beshella's menacing comments had caused
Mr Nawaz and his wife to be very frightened. "If
you and people like you, by racial harassment, seek to
interfere with other people's rights then the courts will
protect them." |
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