Nine young men targeted and attacked a mosque with sticks and caused worshippers to fear for their safety, Kingston Crown Court heard today.
During the attack on 21 November 2010 witnesses saw the accused urinating on the mosque and throwing bacon on the premises. Muslim worshippers inside the mosque were afraid for their safety, believing that the violent gang was going to enter the premises.
“They were waving their sticks and acting violently and looked like they wanted to do something. I heard a shower of broken glass and screaming E,E,E,D,L,” said Mr Mohammed Makda, who witnessed the incident from across the street on Richmond Road.
EDL stands for English Defense League, a coalition of protestors whose purpose is to fight Islamic extremism.
The attack occurred hours after EDL held a peaceful demonstration in Kingston town centre to protest against the burning of poppies.
One of the defendants was heard to have said: “How would you feel about them burning our poppies?”
CCTV recorded the defendants entering and leaving the King’s Tun Pub in Kingston before heading down Richmond road in the direction of the mosque.
Mr Makda said the men were dressed in dark camouflage and wearing hoodies. He proposed seeing between 20 and 30 individuals walking towards the mosque and added that most of them were trying to cover their faces.
The defendants were also seen “throwing things at the number 65 bus,” Mr Makda said.
Mr Makda kept himself hidden and watched the gang approach the mosque before he rushed to a nearby friend’s house to ask for a camera phone to record the evidence.
The nine men accused of violent disorder and racially aggravated damage are as follows: Martin Pottle, 23, David Morris, 21, Alfie Wallace, 19, Terence Earl, 32, Adam Khalfan, 19, Paul Abley, 24, Karl Matthews, 21, Jordan Ellingham, 21, and James Stacey, 19. All nine defendants deny the charges
The case resumes tomorrow at Kingston Crown Court at noon.
