Left-wing nurse who assaulted white Muslim walks unfastened sparking new ‘two-tier justice’ row

A left-wing activist who assaulted a white Muslim guy she mistook for a ‘racist’ at a pro-immigration protest simply days after the Southport stabbings has been spared jail amid claims of ‘a two-tier justice machine.’

Caroline Leneghan grabbed an iPhone from sufferer Dylan Fontaine and smashed it at the floor all the way through a heated alternate on the tournament in Bournemouth.

The former NHS nurse then bodily lunged at him when he tried to select it up.

Based on his look, Leneghan yelled out that he was once a racist and a fascist, inciting others to ‘swarm’ round him and placing him in concern of being attacked.

In reality Mr Fontaine, who’s white, is a Muslim convert and was once on the demonstration in improve of asylum seekers.

The tournament was once held simply days after the civil unrest that took place around the nation within the wake of the Southport murders remaining summer season. 

At the time there were assaults by means of far-right teams on mosques and resorts housing asylum seekers that had been fuelled by means of incorrect information that Southport killer Axel Rudakubana was once a Muslim asylum seeker.

Leneghan, 43, who has the Palestinian flag as her Facebook profile, denied fees of attack and legal injury however was once discovered in charge following an ordeal.

Dylan Fontaine (pictured leaving Poole Magistrates Court in Februrary), was once bodily lunged at by means of Leneghan

Former NHS nurse Leneghan, 43, was once discovered in charge of attack and legal injury following an ordeal at Poole Magistrates Court

She had prior to now been warned by means of magistrates that her case could be handled within the context of the ‘fashionable dysfunction’ that happened remaining summer season after the murders of 3 ladies at a Taylor Swift-themed dance magnificence in Southport.

Despite this and the truth Leneghan has proven no regret, she walked unfastened with a six month jail sentence suspended for 2 years.

District Judge Orla Austin stated it was once most effective the truth Leneghan was once 20 weeks pregnant that she was once no longer going to prison.

Her sentence is in sharp distinction to the ratings of right-leaning protesters who’ve been given long prison phrases for public order offences all the way through anti-immigration demonstrations after Southport.

One of essentially the most critical sentences was once passed to Lucy Connolly, a Northampton childminder, mom of a 12-year-old daughter and spouse of a Tory councillor.

She was once jailed for 31 months for stirring up racial hatred for a tweet at the evening of the Southport killings.

Martin Houlden, the chairman of Reform UK Bournemouth, stated on Thursday: ‘The case of Caroline Leneghan is but extra proof of 2 tier policing.

‘Why has she been allowed to stroll unfastened after inciting exact bodily violence towards an individual at an indication when others comparable to mum Lucy Connolly, are serving prison sentences for not anything greater than ill-advised Tweets?

The protest on the Roundhouse Hotel in Bournemouth, Dorset, the place Caroline Leneghan grew to become on Dylan Fontaine on August 7 remaining yr 

‘Why is the Judiciary protective the ones at the left?’

Last week, a Home Affairs make a choice committee revealed a file that discovered there was once no proof of two-tier policing all the way through the incidents of civil unrest remaining summer season.

Magistrates in Poole heard that Leneghan went to the Roundhouse Hotel in Bournemouth on August 7 remaining yr for a pro-immigration rally.

The resort properties asylum seekers and it was once idea the development may draw in anti-immigration protesters.

Leneghan stated she was once there as a part of the ‘Dorset Palestine Solidarity Campaign’ as she felt there was once a ‘crossover’ with the plight of asylum seekers.

The Fontaine brothers stated that they had been made acutely aware of the protest within the WhatsApp workforce BCP Against Racism.

The court docket heard that she took it upon herself ‘to make a decision who will have to or should not be there’ and singled out Mr Fontaine and his brother Steven, believing they had been individuals of the a ways appropriate.  

But the pair had been actually working towards Muslims who had been additionally there in cohesion with asylum seekers.

The Roundhouse resort properties asylum seekers and it was once idea the development, held within the wake of the Southport stabbings, may draw in anti-immigration protesters

Victoria Hill, prosecuting, stated: ‘The sufferer was once there together with his brother and he was once at the similar aspect of the street because the defendant.

‘She took objection to his presence and instructed him and his brother that they didn’t belong there they usually will have to be at the different aspect of the protest.

‘As a results of the defendant’s behaviour and relating to remarks Mr Fontaine videoed her as he were videoing a lot of the development.

‘There had been no bodily accidents to Mr Fontaine however there was once injury to his telephone. The again of the telephone was once smashed and cracked.

‘To some degree she was once slightly evasive with officials and altered her look with regard to what she was once dressed in.’

Giving proof, Steven Fontaine, 29, stated: ‘She stated “you don’t belong here, you should be on the other side, you’re racist”.

‘She was once right kind frantic and going mad.

‘She shouted “they’re racist” and everybody grew to become round and simply swarmed throughout my brother.

‘I stated “what makes you think that?”

The tournament was once held simply days after the civil unrest that took place around the nation within the wake of the Southport murders remaining summer season. Pictured: Riot police dangle again protesters close to a burning police automobile in Southport

At the time of the Bournemouth incident there were assaults by means of far-right teams on mosques and resorts housing asylum seekers that had been fuelled by means of incorrect information that Southport killer Axel Rudakubana was once a Muslim asylum seeker. Pictured: A automobile set alight all the way through the riots in Sunderland

‘She was once principally pronouncing “you’re not Muslim, judging by what you’re wearing”.

‘There had been folks in balaclavas and he or she wasn’t speaking to them so it was once in accordance with what I seem like. She made up our minds I wasn’t a normal Muslim.’

He stated Leneghan was once ‘loitering’ round them so his brother, Dylan, 28, began filming her. 

Fontaine instructed the court docket: ‘Tensions had been top and I used to be being shouted at that I used to be a racist. Someone grabbed me, folks had been pulling and grabbing me.

‘Luckily there have been some those that knew me they usually calmed down the location. If I hadn’t recognized any individual there it would had been so much worse.’

On video pictures proven in court docket, Leneghan is heard confronting Dylan Fontaine, pronouncing ‘You obviously do not belong right here’, and ‘You’re having a look very suspicious’, and ‘I don’t believe you are one among us’.

Dylan Fontaine will also be heard asking ‘Why are you assuming my ideals?’ earlier than she replies ‘as a result of I will be able to inform from having a look at you’, including ‘the garments for a get started’.

Mr Fontaine was once dressed casually on the time in gray shorts, a black best and a cap.

In a 2d clip Leneghan will also be heard pronouncing ‘He’s a fascist, you each are… Why do not you return over there?’ whilst pointing to the opposite aspect of the street the place there was once a small workforce of what had been believed to be far-right protesters.

Leneghan then grabbed his iPhone and threw it at the ground, smashing the tool.

She then attempted to forestall Mr Fontaine from choosing it up and ‘lunged’ at him a number of instances earlier than shouting: ‘He’s a racist, get him.’

Leneghan refused to provide police her main points on the scene and attempted to modify her clothes to evade officials earlier than ultimately offering her knowledge.

Mr Fontaine stated afterwards he wasn’t bodily injured however ‘felt in poor health’. He spoke to a police officer and to start with made up our minds to not make an legitimate grievance earlier than later converting his thoughts.

Leneghan instructed the court docket the brothers ‘stood out’ and gave the impression suspicious as a result of they had been maintaining to themselves.

‘They did not seem like they had been seeking to be a part of our workforce,’ she recalled.

Ewa Russell, protecting, stated: ‘Without a shadow of a doubt the subject is annoyed by means of the cases and given her private cases, it will have to no longer draw in a custodial sentence.

‘She stated in hindsight she will have to have walked away and confirmed a component of feel sorry about.’

In sentencing her, Judge Austin instructed Leneghan: ‘In my view it is a disgraceful incident brought about in opposition to the backdrop of nationwide misery.

‘You had been calling them fascists and racists simply by having a look at them and your movements left Mr Fontaine vulnerable to being attacked.

‘I do not settle for that you’re whatsoever remorseful and settle for the seriousness of what you brought about.

‘I’m of the view that it is a most sentence case which might be 26 weeks in jail.

‘I now have to have a look at the truth that you’re 20 weeks pregnant. I imagine the danger of reoffending is low and there are dangers for the being pregnant, particularly round pre-eclampsia, and so I’m going to droop the sentence for the following two years.

‘There could also be a prohibited process requirement that means you can’t sign up for any assembled amassing or demonstration for the following two years.’

Leneghan, from Bournemouth, was once ordered to pay Mr Fontaine £300 reimbursement in addition to £200 court docket prices and a sufferer surcharge of £154.

The CPS had been approached for remark as to why Leneghan was once no longer charged with racially annoyed attack or incite violence or hatred.

In February 2024 Leneghan was once a part of the arguable pro-Palestine protest that happened out of doors the circle of relatives house of former Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood in Bournemouth.