Drunk man told worshippers they would be destroyed

A drunk man who went into a mosque and told worshippers "white people will destroy you" has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Alexander Hooper, 57, told a classroom of children at Peterborough's Masjid Darassalaam that their prophet "was a paedophile", prosecutor Mark Parkhouse said.

The defendant, of Dogsthorpe Road in the city, went on to admit religiously and racially aggravated offending in October.

He was sentenced at Peterborough Magistrates' Court to 27 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months.

The court heard Hooper assaulted the female police officer who arrested him - an offence he also admitted.

He was banned from all mosques in Peterborough as part of a Criminal Behaviour Order.

Mr Parkhouse said Hooper had been drinking before he entered the mosque at about 06:15 BST on 24 October.

He went upstairs, where children were studying and told them "their prophet was a paedophile", it was said.

Mr Parkhouse added the defendant also went into a washroom where a man was performing ablutions.

Hooper told the man, "It's a death cult, you want to kill people", the court heard.

"The mosque was targeted because of their religion," Mr Parkhouse said.

"It's a sustained incident, it's 40 minutes of a big, powerful man ranting at children," he added.

A mosque trustee said they have locked the building's doors since the incident and always had at least two people on security duty, the court heard.

Jason Stevens, mitigating, said Hooper was agnostic and "a person who's interested in religious ideology".

"The fact is my client has got himself very drunk and intoxicated," he said, adding that Hooper had mental health issues.

Mr Stevens said Hooper accepted saying "white people will destroy you".

Presiding magistrate Jonathan Jelley ordered Hooper pay £100 compensation to the police officer he assaulted and a further £272 in costs.

Peterborough's Joint Mosque Council (JMC) "welcomed the timely progress of the case through the courts" and said it recognised the distress caused to worshippers, particularly young children, elderly people, and women.

It added that abuse and intimidation directed at any faith community has "no place in Peterborough".

Abdul Muquaddas Choudhuri, Chairperson of JMC, said: "We are thinking of everyone affected, especially the children and elderly worshippers who were present.

"We respect the court process, and we remain committed to keeping our mosques safe, supporting our community, and working with partners to ensure hate has no place in Peterborough."

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