A man has appeared in court accused of causing a mosque to be evacuated after claiming that he had put a pig’s head inside.
Kirklees magistrates heard that 200 children were forced to leave the Lockwood-based Hanifa Mosque after the threat was made. Christian Joseph St Hillaire, of Fenay Street in Almondbury, yesterday pleaded not guilty to racially-aggravated threatening behaviour.
Linda Fowler, prosecuting, said the incident took place on January 30 at the Bentley Street premises, when mosque secretary, Mohammed Imran, received a phone call. Mrs Fowler said that during the call, a male stated that he had put a pig’s head inside the mosque. He also told Mr Imran that he needed to get everyone outside.
Mrs Fowler said that the call caused particular distress as earlier that month a pig’s head had been found on a spike on the mosque’s railings.
Because of this the mosque was evacuated. Children aged between four and 15 were told that the evacuation was a routine fire alarm practice. The premises were searched but nothing was found.
Mrs Fowler said that the phone call made was then traced back to the address of St Hillaire. The 22-year-old denies that he was the person who made the call.
His trial will take place in the Huddersfield court on November 4. Unconditional bail was granted.