Muslim traffic warden egged and called a terrorist in Folkestone
Categories: Latest News
Friday December 01 2017
A Muslim traffic warden was egged and called a terrorist after he issued a ticket on a car in Folkestone. Kent Live reported that Jordan Tanner, 25, admitting to egging the Muslim traffic warden and calling him a terrorist after finding a parking ticket on his street in October.
Tanner however pleaded not guilty to offences of assault and religiously aggravated assault at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court. His defence was that he did not intend to call the traffic warden a terrorist in a “racial way”.
The incident occurred after traffic enforcement officer Firat Yildrim realised he was being followed after being called with his colleague onto George Gerr Crescent in Folkestone.
Victoria Gedge, prosecuting Tanner, reported that “the defendant blocked their (Yildrim and his colleague’s) exit and threw eggs at their vehicle. He then tried to pull Mr Yildrim out of his vehicle, where he was shouting and swearing at him”.
In addition, Gedge said Tanner “called [Yildrim] a terrorist, and he perceived this was because of the fact he was a Muslim. He then drove off, and stuck his middle finger up as he left”
Tanner, defending himself in court, said: “I got out of my car, chucked two eggs, and went to the driver’s door. I opened it, and I asked the occupants who was number 27 (the number of the officer), but he said he didn’t know what I was on about. I shut the door, then I went into another property. Five minutes later I came out and I was off”.
When he was questioned by Gedge about the reasoning of the terrorist comment, he replied, “I called him a terrorist as in a terrorist’s motives. I do not accept it was said in any racial way”.
Tanner will be tried at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on February 20th 2018.
Kent Police reported 1,466 race related crimes and 70 religiously aggravated crimes in 2016/17. This was a significant increase on the previous year, when 955 race related crimes and 54 religiously aggravated crimes were reported.