Woman who claimed her dog ‘doesn’t like Muslims’ fined £50 for racial harassment after religious harassment charge dropped

A woman who was cleared of a charge of religiously aggravated harassment after telling a woman that her dog had set upon her because it “doesn’t like Muslims” has been fined in connection with a conviction for racially aggravated harassment, according to a report in The Metro today.

Fiona Connolly was convicted for racially aggravated harassment in January. She was accused of calling Candice Legister a “stupid black b****” outside a Tesco store in Kensington.

Judge Howard Riddle cleared Ms Connolly of a charge for religiously aggravated harassment in relation to the remark about Muslims saying “In the circumstances I am satisfied that she did say “my dog doesn’t like Muslims.” That in itself may or may not be an offensive comment but it isn’t a threatening comment in its own right. On that basis I’m not sure that the religious element is made out.”

Judge Riddle imposed a fine on Connolly of £50 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court after hearing that she had been attending an alcohol treatment course twice a week. Connolly was also said to be seeking help as a victim of domestic abuse.

The Metro reports that Connolly has prior convictions for racist offences noting “Connolly has previously been convicted of using racially threatening language in 2010, and racially aggravated criminal damage and racially aggravated common assault in 2012.”