Man avoids jail for placing pig's head outside Thurnby Lodge community centre
A man who placed a pig's head outside the front gates of a Thurnby Lodge community centre used by Muslims has been given a suspended prison sentence.
Liam Ferrar (24) appeared at Leicester Magistrates' Court today for sentence after he had pleaded guilty to committing religiously aggravated harassment aimed at the Muslim community.
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Liam Ferrar
Ferrars went to Thurnby Lodge Community Centre, in Thurncourt Road, Leicester, in the early hours of December 26 last year and placed the head by the locked doors.
The head was facing outwards, towards the worshippers from Muslim group As Salaam who arrived at the centre later that morning.
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District Judge John Temperley, sentencing Ferrar to 12 weeks in jail suspended for 12 months, he said: "You were well aware of the significance of your actions.
"You knew that what you did would cause great distress, indeed that was your intention."
He added: "The pig's head was positioned in such a way that it could not be avoided by all those, including potentially young children, who had the misfortune to enter the building that morning."
He added: "It is easy to imagine the shock, distress and disgust they would have felt."
He said the harm that his actions caused, committed at a time of demonstrations over the lack of community facilities, required a custodial sentence.
But Mr Temperley said Ferrar's remorse, previous good character and work in the local community had saved him from going to prison immediately.
However Ferrar was ordered to complete 250 hours unpaid work.
The court was told that Ferrar had been drinking when he planted the head early on Boxing Day, December 26.
The court heard that he had acquired it at a wedding barbecue the previous summer, and kept it in a freezer at his Thurnby Lodge home.
After the hearing lawyer Stephen Morris, for Ferrar, of Brook Road, said: "My client wishes to apologise to the As Salaam Trust for any distress his actions have caused them. He is deeply sorry for what he did."
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by GriffGriff
Tuesday, February 19 2013, 4:09PM
“I don't care less about religion.
Religion is just a way of control and brainwashing. It causes so much trouble and strife both here and around the world - and should be banned or deemed irrelevant.
However, commonsense dictates that a severed pig's head would cause anyone distress from whatever trait or background - it was a stupid, childish and reckless thing to do.”
by georgeisafish
Monday, February 18 2013, 10:20PM
“cant see what the fuss is about? no worse than finding someones put dog mess on your doorstep, but would you ring the law? no. probably not.”
by LikeItaLot
Monday, February 18 2013, 10:19PM
“jimbob6163, why should one wrong action then be a justification for another?”
by anobserver
Monday, February 18 2013, 7:22PM
“prog come back with your enlightened observations on Goodwood.Try,on this site "enviroment" then "religious centre......"”
by jimbob6163
Monday, February 18 2013, 7:20PM
“Man avoids jail for placing pig's head outside Thurnby Lodge community centre I should think so too If it alright for Muslims to burn poppies on rememberance day”
by prog_rock_fan
Monday, February 18 2013, 6:30PM
“@karinfall1955: One of your best and most cogent statements: sensible, moderate, well-spoken. It's not necessary for me to agree with every word to acknowledge the strength of your argument.”
by karinfall1955
Monday, February 18 2013, 6:24PM
“To those who say Halal slaughter is cruel I totally agree. I also agree that all slaughterhouses are guilty of cruelty in as much as animals are murdered daily. However, slaughterhouses do aspire to methods and standards whereby all animals SHOULD be stunned prior to killing. Halal slaughter insists they are conscious. There is currently a movement to encourage cctv in all slaughterhouses to ensure best practice and weed out unnecessary cruelty. That, I believe, is the way to go. Many restaurants and takeaways now serve halal food, don't use them - simple.
In the whole sorry story my sympathy is with the pig.”
by LikeItaLot
Monday, February 18 2013, 6:11PM
“Because some religious people exercise their faith in an exclusive way, denying other religions, converting with extreme zeal, forbidding this that and the other, why should people sink to the level of this man? The unnacceptable aspects of the Islam faith are countered by mature debate. Why be offensive?
But that said I refer to the "had been drinking", perhaps this explains far more than anything (apart from if keeping a pig's head for months in your freezer shows malice aforethought)”
by redcat
Monday, February 18 2013, 5:55PM
“So he "acquired" the pig's head "at a wedding barbecue the previous summer and kept it in a freezer at his Thurnby Lodge home"???
What else was he planning on doing with it? Unless he has some unusual fetish then normal people do not just keep severed animal heads in their freezers for months alongside the frozen chips and peas. He obviously intended seriously upsetting someone with it.
Whether he deserved a prison sentence -well, would someone deserve one if they smeared excrement all over a Church door? I guess whether you think so or not depends on how much it bothers you about how upset people who do believe would be by such a thing.
The Judge refers to his "previous good character" but personally I'd say someone who keeps inedible animal parts in their freezer for half a year is the LAST type of person who should be 'working in the community' as a punishment!”
by cyberandy
Monday, February 18 2013, 5:24PM
“Strange that Mr Ferrar only showed remorse in court when he was afraid he might get locked up.......”