A BNP sympathiser has admitted threatening staff at a bookshop during a far-right march. Liam Pinkham, 21, was taking part in a BNP march through Liverpool city centre when he burst into the News from Nowhere community bookshop on Bold Street.
Liverpool crown court was told the skinhead was dressed in stereotypical far-right clothing, including a bomber jacket and jack boots and was abusive to the two women workers inside. They claimed he threatened to “burn down the shop”.
Pinkham yesterday admitted intentionally causing harassment, although his barrister Philip Astbury insisted he had only threatened to “shut down the shop”.
Pinkham, of Leeswood Road, Woodchurch, Wirral, had originally been charged with criminal damage and racially aggravated intentional harassment, but he pleaded to the lesser charge on the day his trial was due to start.
Geoffrey Greenwood, prosecuting, told the court Pinkham’s victims were extremely frightened of giving evidence and his pleas were acceptable.
Mr Astbury said Pinkham had now moved away from supporting the party. He said: “This was a fairly radical establishment which was obviously anti the organisation with which the defendant sympathised with.” He added: “He has tried to take himself away from that sphere of interest.”
The court heard Pinkham had been subject to a community order at the time of the incident on November 29 last year. Judge Bryn Holloway said: “On any view this was an extremely unpleasant incident.”
He adjourned sentencing until July 31.
Liverpool Echo
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