Former Swanley BNP councillor Paul Golding convicted of harassing sister-in-law of man linked to London bombings

On Monday (January 5) Paul Golding was found guilty of harassing Munazza Munawar outside her home in Chafford Hundred, Essex, on April 3 last year.

The Britain First leader, of Sprucedale Close, Swanley, was also convicted of wearing a political uniform signifying association with a political organisation.

The charge falls under the Public Order Act 1936 which was enacted to combat Oswald Moseley’s fascist Blackshirts.

The trial at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court heard Golding harassed Mrs Munawar outside her home in Hepburn Close, Chafford Hundred.

He wrongly thought it was the home of her husband’s brother, Sajeel Shahid – said to have trained the ringleader of the 7/7 bombings in London – after reading a Daily Mail article.

He was wearing his Britain First bomber jacket, which violated the 1936 Act.

The court saw footage of Golding speaking to Mrs Munawar, who was at her home with her two children, in which he demanded to speak to Shahid.

William Hays, prosecuting, told the court that neighbours who witnessed the behaviour of the men were left feeling scared, intimidated and "extremely distressed" and phoned the police.

Mr Hays said mother-of-three Mrs Munawar had been "too frightened" to open the door, instead speaking through the frosted glass.

Golding was alleged to have told the victim: "I will be back, because we don’t want Islamic terrorists like him living amongst us. He is al-Qaeda."

Afterwards Golding spoke directly to a camera held by one of his supporters, saying the terrorist was inside the house.

In fact, the voice he had heard had been that of Mrs Munawar’s young son.

Dramatic music was dubbed onto the footage which was then uploaded to the Britain First website.

Golding's supporters outside Chelmsford Magistrates' Court.

Golding was later arrested on suspicion of harassment after voluntarily attending a police station.

He admitted going to the home of Mrs Munawar but denied his actions had harassed her.

Golding said: "I was there for only a few moments. I did not raise my voice, I did not use foul language, I did not use any profanity."

He denied the activists had organised themselves in a semi-circle outside Mrs Munawar’s property.

Golding told the court: "I don’t see how knocking on someone’s door, on my own, is intimidatory.

"I did not use abusive language – it sounds like I had an elevated tone but that was because she was on the other side of frosted glass.

"I intended my behaviour not to be intimidatory. She was not Sajeel Shahid – I went there for one specific person only.

"I tried to avoid a situation where there were lots of people on her doorstep, because lots of people on your doorstep can be construed as intimidatory."

Finding him guilty on both charges, District Judge David Woollard said: "It was a political stunt which was designed to further the cause of the party and to generate the kind of material which is later placed on the Britain First website."

He fined Golding £325 for harassment and £100 for wearing the political uniform.

He was also ordered to pay £532 costs, given a restraining order banning him from returning to Hepburn Close for two years and told he must not attempt to contact Munazza Munawar during that period.

Golding, who picks up £1,600 per month from his role as leader of the Britain First, said after the case: "I was told there was a high risk of conviction, but we cannot rely on these people any more [the police and the judicial system].

"We will plough on regardless; we are not going to stop our activities.

"We are never going to back down and we are not going to retreat one single inch."

Around two dozen of his supporters gathered outside the New Street court with Union Jack flags from early in the morning until the trial’s conclusion later that evening.