EDL supporters jailed for vicious attack

Dale OakleyFour Yorkshire EDL supporters were jailed this week for a vicious attack on two Asian teenagers.

Leeds Crown Court heard how the four yobs, Dale Oakley, Jordan Williams and Melvin Watts all of Dewsbury, and Josh Foster of Tadcaster attacked the two teenagers in revenge as Foster and Williams, had been beaten up by an Asian group at an earlier date. However, neither of the victims was involved in the initial attack on Foster and Williams.

Williams struck one of the teenagers with a stick while Watts, slashed one of them in the face with a knife he had brought from home.

Melvin Watts, 19, was sentenced to five years in a young offenders’ institute for wounding with intent and possessing an offensive weapon. Josh Foster, 18, was sentenced to 15 months in a young offenders’ institute for wounding and racially aggravated assault. Dale Oakley, 21, was sent to prison for 18 months for wounding and racially aggravated assault.

Jordan Williams, 18, was sent to a young offenders’ institute for 18 months for wounding, racially aggravated assault and possessing an offensive weapon.

One of the thugs, Dale Oakley has a very interesting background as both his parents are well known Nazis in the Dewsbury area.

In 2005 both his parents were jailed for stirring up racial hatred on a far right website. Jeremy Oakley and wife Jacqueline were sent to prison for 18 months and 9 months respectively after admitting posting hate material on the White Nationalist Party website.

Jeremy Oakley was a member of the BNP, Combat 18 and the White Nationalist Party whilst his wife Jacqueline was the organiser of the women’s division of The White Nationalist Party.

Obviously the hatred in the Oakley family has been passed down through the family.

Hope Not Hate, 28 March 2012

See also Dewsbury Reporter, 30 March 2012

And what was the response of Dewsbury EDL to the court case? Did they condemn the attack on the two teenagers and state that Oakley and his fellow racist thugs were not welcome in the EDL? Of course not. They just denounced the “two tier system”.

EDL Dewsbury Facebook comment on members' imprisonment

Update:  On the 1 April edition of the BBC’s The Big Questionsdiscussion programme one participant referred to the conviction of these four thugs as an example of the violent character of the EDL. In response EDL leader Stephen Lennon demanded evidence of any connection to the EDL. Hope Not Hate was happy to provide it.