Activist loses court race appeal

Johnson runs the Sheffield-based Monitoring Group North

An anti-racism campaigner has lost his appeal against a conviction for the racially-aggravated harassment of two parking attendants.

A judge at Sheffield Crown Court heard how Ruggie Johnson, 42, made a racist remark to parking attendants in the Burngreave area of the city in 2005.

The judge dismissed his claim there was a police conspiracy against him.

Johnson caused a media storm last week when he released film of a woman being punched by police outside a nightclub.

Johnson, who appeared in court under his real name Herald Johnson, was appealing against a conviction of using racially-aggravated threatening, abusive or insulting words.

'Sources of oppression'

The judge heard how Johnson, of Dundas Road, Tinsley, Sheffield, approached two parking attendants in the mainly black and Asian area of Burngreave to complain about them issuing tickets in December 2005.

One attendant, Gordon Lockley, described how Johnson said to him: "Why don't you go up to Dore and Totley with your white uncles and aunties?"

Dore and Totley are two of Sheffield's more upmarket suburbs on the fringes of the Peak District.

He told the judge: "I felt as though it was a racist remark."

Mr Lockley, who had 16 years experience, said Johnson was "angry and shouting".

Johnson told the court he did not harass either of the attendants.

He said he was making a point about parking issues in the area, but went on to say he believed two white wardens would have been seen as "sources of oppression" in the area.

Explaining what he meant, Johnson said he believed parking attendants from ethnic minorities would cause less hostility in mainly black areas because they would be better able to interact with the community.

The officer punches Ms Comer five times in the incident

He also told the court he thought his prosecution was a result of a police conspiracy against him.

Recorder David Bradshaw, sitting with two magistrates, rejected Johnson's appeal, saying: "We find, therefore, that he did demonstrate hostility based on the membership of a racial group with his reference to the colour white.

"We reject outright and entirely any suggestion of a conspiracy by the police or any particular police officer connected with this case in relation to the bringing of these proceedings."

The judge ordered father-of-three Johnson to pay the £440 costs of the appeal along with the £200 he was fined at the original hearing and the £100 costs he was originally ordered to pay.

Johnson runs the Sheffield-based Monitoring Group North and edits a magazine aimed at people from ethnic minorities.

Last week he released CCTV footage of Toni Comer, 20, being repeatedly punched during an arrest outside Sheffield's Niche nightclub.

The incident led to Pc Anthony Mulhall being removed from front-line duty.