udge says nine-strong gang partly preyed on five girls, aged between 13 and 15, because they were from different 'community and religion'
Judge Gerald Clifton dismisses defendants' claims that prosecution was 'triggered by race'
But legal counsel for one of the convicted men says he will launch an appeal on the basis of a tweet by BNP leader Nick Griffin
Opportunity to catch the paedophiles missed after complaint four years ago
As many as 47 vulnerable girls were plied with alcohol, gifts and money
They were then passed around for sex with 'several men a day'
At least one victim forced to have sex with 20 men in one night, police say
Former Labour MP Ann Cryer says gang were left to it because police feared being branded racist
Muslim leader warns that some British Pakistani men 'think that white teenage girls are worthless and can be abused without a second thought'
Labour MP Keith Vaz warns against opening Pandora's Box over race relations by blaming a particular race or religion for grooming girls
udge says nine-strong gang partly preyed on five girls, aged between 13 and 15, because they were from different 'community and religion'
Judge Gerald Clifton dismisses defendants' claims that prosecution was 'triggered by race'
But legal counsel for one of the convicted men says he will launch an appeal on the basis of a tweet by BNP leader Nick Griffin
Opportunity to catch the paedophiles missed after complaint four years ago
As many as 47 vulnerable girls were plied with alcohol, gifts and money
They were then passed around for sex with 'several men a day'
At least one victim forced to have sex with 20 men in one night, police say
Former Labour MP Ann Cryer says gang were left to it because police feared being branded racist
Muslim leader warns that some British Pakistani men 'think that white teenage girls are worthless and can be abused without a second thought'
Labour MP Keith Vaz warns against opening Pandora's Box over race relations by blaming a particular race or religion for grooming girls
The leader of the sex grooming gang who preyed on white girls as young as 13 for sex was jailed for 19 years today after branding the judge a 'racist b******'.
As the Asian men involved in the gang were today sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to a total of 77 years in jail today the row over whether racism affected the result of their trial deepened.
One defence counsel confirmed he will appeal against his client's conviction on the basis of a tweet by BNP leader Nick Griffin which appeared to accurately reflect all-white jury's deliberations.
Last Thursday afternoon - two-and-a-half days after the jury retired to consider its verdicts - Griffin posted a comment on his @nickgriffinmep account which read: 'News flash. Seven of the Muslim paedophile rapists found guilty in Liverpool.'
Mr Griffin later backtracked on Twitter when he was told that the jury had not yet officially returned any verdicts.
He could face further action as his remark may have breached strict court orders barring reporting of verdicts before the end of the case.
But his tweet led to eight defence lawyers calling on Judge Clifton to discharge the jury after investigations revealed Griffin's comment to be a '100 per cent accurate' reflection of its deliberations so far.
The judge found against them and allowed the jury to return its verdicts. Today, he told the jury it had gone about its task in a 'painstaking' and 'fair' manner.
No comments:
Post a Comment