| Hateland -
Articles |
31/05/02 - Second man jailed
for racial harassment
Western Mail Cardiff, Wales
A SECOND man was jailed yesterday for racially harassing
an Asian shopkeeper terrorised by a former Ku Klux Klan
leader.
Evan Short, 20, admitted harassing shopkeeper Mohammed
Nawaz by making racist comments, swearing and threatening
to hang him.
It follows a separate incident when Mr Nawaz was tormented
by exKKK Grand Dragon Alan Beshella in the aftermath
of September 11.
Cardiff Crown Court heard Short visited Mr Nawaz's
shop and abused him on two occasions in November. Prosecutor
Matthew Cobbe said, ``Short came into the shop and threat-ened
to hang him, then called him a `black b******'.''
Mr Nawaz, who has owned the store in Caerau, Maesteg,
for 18 years, was abused again by Short 12 days later.
Mr Cobbe said, ``Short came into the shop during the
evening and shouted `Afghanistan','' and swore at him
again.
``But in an interview, Short told police he was not
a racist, and in fact he had a coloured cousin.''
Father-of-three Mr Nawaz had been subjected to similar
abuse by Beshella in the days after the terrorist attacks
in New York.
Beshella denied racially harassing father-of-three
Mohammed Nawaz. He was found guilty and jailed for three
months.
In Cardiff Crown Court yesterday, Short's barrister,
Kevin Seal, said racist groups were operating in the
area.
Mr Seal said, ``Short has rebuffed attempts by others
in the area to recruit him.''
And in a reference to Beshella he said, ``A person
significantly involved in one of those groups was recently
sentenced for an offence against Mr Nawaz. It appears
he is still active in the area.
``Young people such as Short are vulnerable, and susceptible
to influence from people like that.
``It was people like Short that were targeted by the
Nazis before the last war. He is not a racist. He is
ignorant more than anything over what it is like to
be a victim of racism.''
Short, from Caerau, admitted racially aggravated harassment
and racially aggravated intentional harassment.
He was sentenced to 12 months in a young offenders' institution
and placed under a restraining order for 18 months to
keep him away from Mr Nawaz and his family. |
| Contact : bernard.omahoney@bernardomahoney.com |
|
|
|
