Elham Asaad Buaras

A man who shouted ‘EDL’ and ‘Allahu Akbar’ and pushed a woman to the floor as police chased him has pleaded guilty to racially-aggravated threatening behaviour at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court.

The officers were called to the Cambridge Hotel in Claire Hill, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, on August 19 where Andrew Batty, 27, who was high on drink and drugs was acting strangely. Batty, knocked wheeled bins over and pushed a woman to the floor.

They discovered him inside the premises, sat on the floor and trying to set fire to his clothes.
Bill Astin, prosecuting, said: “Mr Batty seemed to be under the influence of drink and drugs and they were concerned about his mental state.

“He ran away, they gave chase and eventually he was stopped by police, shouting things like: ‘Come on, I’ll stab you with my knife’. Then he continued to shout ‘EDL, EDL and ‘Allahu Akbar’.”

English Defence League (EDL) is a right-wing anti-Islam organisation. Batty hurled racist abuse at some men walking past and spat at the police officers after being placed in his cell. He said he couldn’t remember the incident because he was on drink and drugs.

Batty told District Judge Michael Fanning that he was addicted to heroin and crack cocaine and his problem was getting worse. He claimed that he didn’t have a problem with people of a different race to him.

Judge Fanning told him: “You can’t behave in this way. We’re trying to clear up society and when people shout the things you were shouting it undermines these efforts.” Batty was fined £240 and ordered to pay £85 costs and £30 victim surcharge.