Friday, 24th November 2006, 07:40
Category: Crime and Punishment
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A racist football thug who spat at a Muslim and abused her as she travelled home from a service for the July 7 bombing victims was jailed for 21 months yesterday.
Charles Adams, 23, of Colindale, called the white Muslim convert in a burkha a 'Muslim slag' and said her four year-old son, who was with her, would be the 'next suicide bomber' in the 20 minute ordeal on a train.
His father Mark Adams, 50, and brother Mark Adams, 26, joined in the abuse, telling her to 'shut the **** up' and that she should 'go back to her own country'.
Victim Michelle Idrees, of Luton, had attended a July 7th bombings ceremony in Hyde Park in August 2005 with her four children aged between four and eleven, a nephew and some friends.
Meanwhile, father and son football louts the Adams had spent the afternoon in the pub drinking after watching Arsenal play at Highbury stadium in the first game of the season.
Aisha Khan, prosecuting, told Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court that the Idrees family boarded a Thameslink train at King's Cross station, and found seating near a toilet.
She said: "Charles Adams walked past the group and said 'Terrorist bomber, bomber terrorist'.
"In response, she stood up and said 'Why are you calling us terrorists?' An argument then followed.
"She didn't wish to put up with the abuse in front of her children. Other witnesses described her protective stance before her children.
"It was then that Charles Adams called her a Muslim slag'.
"He then turned to her four year-old son, who was sitting next to her, and said 'That's the next suicide bomber'.
"Mark Adams junior then became involved, he told his brother to leave it, and then told Michelle Idrees to 'Shut up, shut up, *****'.
"Charles Adams then came towards Michelle Idrees, he appeared very fired up. Mark Adams junior was holding his brother back and it was at this point that Charles leaned across his brother and spat in the face of Michelle Idrees.
"She described feeling quite degraded.
"Later on in the incident Mark Adams senior became involved. He approached Michelle Idrees and said 'Why are you dressed like a Paki if you don't want these things done to you?
"'I can't take my daughter on the train to see a football match or to the West End because of people like you. Why don't you go back to your own country?'"
The ordeal lasted 20 minutes before Mrs Idrees notified the train conductor and the train was stopped at West Hampstead station while police arrived.
Ms Khan added: "A witnesses described it as the worst scene of violent abuse he had seen in his life."
Mr Justice Calvert-Smith described the attack as a 'long, terrifying and humiliating experience'. He added: "It's undoubtedly the case that supporters of football who drink alcohol are much more likely to lose their inhibitions and behave like you three did on this day.
"Everybody who lived in London in August 2005 was still affected by the events of the 21st July and before that, the dreadful experience of the 7th July, but that is no excuse whatsoever for your behaviour."
Mr Justice Calvert-Smith jailed Charles Adams for a total of 21 months for racially aggravated common assault and affray.
Adams, a window cleaner and father of one, with another child due in three months, had previously been jailed for attacking a man with a golf club and leaving him with 33 stitches to the head. His father Mark Adams was given a 30 week prison term suspended for 12 months for racially aggravated threatening and abusive behaviour.
Mark Adams junior was ordered to pay £250 compensation to the victim, £400 court costs and do 100 hours community service for public harassment
http://www.lse.co.uk/ShowStory.asp?s...uslim_on_train