Man who defaced Quran at hospital jailed

A man convicted of hate crimes has been jailed for 40 weeks in his absence after refusing to appear in court.

Ibrahim Iqbal, 36, was previously found guilty of two counts of religiously aggravated criminal damage and one count of criminal damage after he defaced a Quran in a hospital's multi-faith centre and wrote antisemitic graffiti on a prison cell wall.

He was also found guilty of assaulting an emergency worker at an earlier date.

Leeds Magistrates' Court heard that Iqbal refused to leave his cell to attend his sentencing, having stormed out of the room when he appeared via video link from prison at a previous hearing.

Judge Mark Daley said an "enormous amount of court time has been wasted" by prisoners refusing to make their court appearances.

The court heard that Iqbal assaulted a police officer on 25 November by kicking them in the groin, when they responded to a report of a disturbance at a property.

His next offence happened on 29 November, when Iqbal went to the multi-faith centre at St James's Hospital in Leeds.

The court previously heard that while in the room, Iqbal defaced several Qurans, tearing pages out, setting them alight and putting them down a toilet.

On the same occasion, the CPS said Iqbal had smashed a framed Islamic scripture.

He then returned a fortnight later, on 9 December, and deliberated stuffed miscellaneous items down drains to cause a blockage.

The next day, he tried to access the multi-faith centre again, but found it locked due to the damage he had caused, and was arrested later that day.

While in police custody, he scrawled an antisemitic slogan on his cell wall with a crayon.

Judge Daley noted that Iqbal had refused to show up for several court hearings since charges were brought against him.

At an earlier hearing he appeared via video link from prison, where he wore sunglasses, vaped and eventually left the room.

Victim impact statements from users of the hospital's multi-faith centre were presented to the court, detailing the consequences of Iqbal's actions.

Ben Rhodes, Head of Chaplaincy at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said the people who had seen the damage had been left "highly distressed and alarmed".

He added that the centre should be an "important and safe space", and that the incident had left a "shocking and lasting impact" on those who used the room.

The Probation Service advised that Iqbal was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2019, but a number of other mental health conditions were reported, with additional official diagnoses unclear.

Sentencing, Judge Daley said he was conscious that Iqbal was not present and was unrepresented by legal counsel, having previously dismissed his representation.

He expressed that he could not speculate on the nature or intent behind the charges, especially in his absence, but must be led by the fact he was found guilty.

Iqbal, of no fixed abode, was also ordered to pay £650 damages and a £187 surcharge.

As he must appear in court for his sentencing to take effect, a warrant without bail was also issued.

Ch Supt Steve Dodds said he hoped the action taken by police demonstrated that "hate crimes such as this will not be tolerated".

"Iqbal caused damage to a room in a hospital used by people of all faiths for quiet reflection and prayer at what can be a very difficult time for them and their loved ones, ultimately resulting in its closure while the damage had to be repaired," he said.

"I know his actions, both at the hospital and while in custody, will have been particularly felt within the Muslim and Jewish communities.

"Everyone has a right to live their life, and practice their religion, without the fear of targeted abuse for who they are."

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