Vile thug made monkey gestures towards black woman during Leeds city-centre protest clash
A thug who made monkey gestures towards a black woman during a Leeds protest has been jailed.
Jordan Plain was handed an eight-month sentence at Leeds Crown Court this afternoon, having previously admitted racially-aggravated intentional harassment.
The 30-year-old, of Broadway, Horsforth, was at the protest on The Headrow, outside Leeds Art Gallery, on Saturday, August 3. It was attended by far-right “EDL” supporters, as well as anti-fascist groups.
The two sides were separated by barriers, put up by police, prosecutor Heather Gilmore told the court.
Footage played to the court showed Plain making the gestures, shouting “rubber lips” as a racial slur and chanting “EDL, EDL”.
Some also took off their shirts and wrapped them around their heads, mocking the Muslim hijab, and Plain pretended to pray like a Muslim.
He was arrested at 1am on August 5. He has previous convictions including possession of an imitation firearm, burglaries, criminal damage, possession of an offensive weapon, battery and driving offences.
A pre-sentence report found that unemployed Plain did not make any excuses for his behaviour, took full responsibility and showed genuine remorse.
He admitted he had previously used cocaine and that he was in drink on that day.
Mitigating, Michael Walsh said: “He knows he was completely in the wrong and makes no suggestion there was any justification for his actions.
“He is the author of his own misfortune.”
He said that Plain admits he need to address his alcohol consumption. While passing sentence, the judge, the Recorder of Leeds, Guy Kearl KC, said: “You climbed on a barrier and make monkey noises and gestures.
“It was grossly offensive. Racist language and behaviour. Your conduct and that of your group was designed to stir up racial hatred.” This morning, two Leeds men were jailed for their part in the disorder, having attacked men draped in Union Jack flags.
A third Leeds man was also jailed for posting racially-motivated comments on Facebook.
Last week violence erupted in dozens of towns and cities including Rotherham, Tamworth, Plymouth, Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Hull. Hotels where asylum seekers were known to be staying were targeted and set on fire, shops were looted, police cars attacked and bricks and debris hurled at officers.
Civil unrest had begun 12 days before in Leeds when violent clashes with police took place in the Harehills area on the night of July 18, which resulted in a police car being attacked and a double-decker bus torched.
Four men have been charged, appeared in court and remanded until later this month for the Harehills trouble.
The Government has said it will take a hard line with offenders involving themselves in street violence, and will open courts on evenings and weekends if need be to deal with the large number of people being charged.