Jail terms for race attack youths

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Thugs jailed for racist attacks

Three teenagers have been jailed over a number of racist attacks on Asian shopkeepers in Bristol.

Nicholas Gardener and twins Luke and Justin Lovedale, all aged 17, were each handed 18 month sentences.

Gardener was convicted of three racially aggravated assaults, while the Lovedale twins were both found guilty of one at Bristol Magistrates' Court.

District Judge David Parsons said the victims were "targeted on the basis of their ethnicity".

'No shame'

CCTV footage previously played to the court showed the youths launching unprovoked assaults on shopkeepers in Bedminster.

The judge told the youths: "The CCTV showed each of you cruelly assaulting the victims.

"You have shown no empathy, no remorse and no shame."

Before launching the assaults racist threats were shouted by the youths, the court heard.

As sentence was passed, one of the trio shouted abuse at the judge before all were led away.

The Lovedale twins, from south Bristol, carried out the attacks with Gardener, from Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, on the night of 6 June.

Between 2230 BST and 2330 BST a Bargain Booze and Costcutter shops in Bedminster were targeted, and three staff subjected to kicks and punches.

'Vicious crimes'

The three accused admitted a string of assault and criminal damage charges, but claimed they were not motivated by racism.

But after a three-day trial in October the district judge rejected their denials.

He added a 30-month anti-social behaviour order to the sentence, forbidding them from meeting in certain areas of south Bristol.

An order banning their identification on the grounds of age was lifted to reflect the seriousness of their crimes.

Steve Carpenter, district crown prosecutor, said: "These were vicious crimes, clearly motivated by racial hatred.

"The CPS brought the racially aggravated nature of this case to the attention of the court and this was reflected in the sentence."