Al-Qaeda Recruiter Hurled Racist Abuse at Police

From the Mail:

A Muslim author who has claimed to be a former Al Qaeda recruiter hurled an 'onslaught' of racist abuse at police, a court heard today.

Hassan Butt is said to have yelled 'white redneck hooligans' at officers who arrested his brother over claims that he became aggressive during an argument over parking.

As he was being searched in a police van, 29-year-old Hassan is said to have called them 'Gestapo' and 'bald dogs' and to have tried provoking one officer by saying: 'Do you like feeling Pakis up.'

Butt has renounced a militant past in which he claimed to sent arms to the Taliban, organised training for 200 British Muslims to fight in a jihad against the West, collected money for terrorism and associated with the 7/7 bombers.

In May last year Butt was held by counter-terrorism officers but released without charge.

The latest allegations relate to an incident last October when his dentist brother Omer Butt, 32, was arrested after police asked him to move his car outside his surgery in Unsworth, near Bury, Greater Manchester.

Bury magistrates were told that Hassan of Cheetham Hill, Manchester, arrived to find Pc Paul Lenaric guarding the £50,000 Audi Q7, which was due to be impounded.

Pc Lenaric said a 'very aggressive' Butt and another Asian man had stood against the door of his police vehicle so he could not open it.

'I managed to walk onto the pavement followed by Mr Butt but he wasn't speaking to the police - it was more of an onslaught and a verbal assault,' the officer said.

'He wanted to know about his brother and made general remarks about police being racist.

'I was trying to get him to calm down but Butt said, "This is s***." I told him he was being offensive but he said, "If you want to fight with me, I will fight with you."'

Fellow Pc Christian Allanson said: 'I could see a man speaking on his mobile and I heard him say, "I'm just here with these white redneck hooligans." I believe he was saying that so the officers could hear him. I was offended by that comment.

'It was clear it was targeted at the officers who were present. He told PC Lenaric, "Where's my brother - you're not the Gestapo." He then struggled and had to be handcuffed.

'Once he was inside the van he was shouting: "you bald dog." As I was searching him in the back of the van he said, "You like feeling Pakis up."

'I thought it was a very offensive comment and I thought he said it to try and provoke a reaction from me. He called me a dog back in the custody office.'

Omer Butt was acquitted of assault during a separate trial earlier this year.

Hassan Butt denies racially aggravated threatening behaviour. During interview he accepted using the words 'hooligan' and 'white' but denied saying 'redneck'.

He is representing himself and claims the police officers are members of the BNP.