The West Australian
June 7, 2011, 9:21 am
A 30-year-old man who stuffed ham into the shoes of Muslims as they worshipped at a mosque has been spared jail.
Jamie Knowlson also draped slices of the meat - which Muslims are banned from eating - on railings outside the mosque as his victims prayed inside, Britain's Daily Mail has reported.
The offender was captured on security vision as he abused worshippers after they confronted him over his sacrilegious act.
"Knowlson initially told police the stunt was a drunken joke but later admitted that he was fully aware of the offence his actions would cause," The Mail reported.
"He pleaded guilty to causing racially or religiously aggravated harassment and could have been jailed for up to two years, but walked free from Bristol Crown Court with a suspended six-month prison sentence because he had returned to the mosque to apologise for his actions."
During sentencing, Judge Carol Hagen told Knowlson that it was "difficult to imagine a more offensive incident".
"Imagine" this then, God forbid someone place ham in these Brave sons of Alla's shoes.
"Not only the fixing of meat to railings but aggravated, in my view, that members of the mosque were inside praying at the time," she said.
The Mail said Knowlson went to the mosque from a nearby homeless shelter on January 9.
"(Prosecutor) David Hunter said it had been a premeditated attack specifically targeted at the Muslim community," it reported.
"Knowlson sat in tears as he was handed a six-month suspended sentence and 150 hours of unpaid work.
"A second man is due to stand trial in connection with the incident later this month."
