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<a class="postlink" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/7353643/Philosophy-tutor-in-court-for-leaving-anti-religious-cartoons-in-John-Lennon-airport.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religio ... rport.html</a>
Philosophy tutor in court for leaving anti-religious cartoons in John Lennon airport
The materials dumped by Harry Taylor at Liverpool's John Lennon airport included "sexually abusive and sexually unpleasant cartoons", a jury heard yesterday.
One image showed a smiling Christ on the cross next to an advert for a brand of "no nails" glue. In another, Islamic suicide bombers at the gates of paradise are told: " Stop, stop, we've run out of virgins."
A further cartoon showed two Muslims holding a placard demanding equality with the caption: "Not for women or gays, obviously."
Mr Taylor, 59, a self-styled philosophy tutor, denied bearing a grudge against people of faith and said he was only trying to "convert" believers to atheism.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that he left the materials in John Lennon airport as a tribute to the former Beatle, whose most acclaimed solo work Imagine referenced "a world with no religion".
He said: "The airport is named after John Lennon and his views on religion were pretty much the same as mine. I thought that it was an insult to his memory to have a prayer room in the airport."
The leaflets were discovered by Nicky Lees, the airport chaplain, who told the court she felt "deeply offended and insulted" by their contents.
Outlining the case against Mr Taylor, prosecutor Neville Biddle said that he had gone beyond freedom of expression by leaving the "insulting, threatening and abusive" images in a room used for worship.
He said: "Of course people have a right to speak freely and have a right to insult people. It is one of the most important rights we have and it must be jealously guarded.
"But it is a right not without some prescription. Mr Taylor exceeded that right."
Addressing the jury he continued: "Your decision will not be easy. You are the conscience of society and you must decide what you are prepared to put up with and what goes beyond reasonable bounds. You are twelve tolerant reasonable British people who know what freedom of speech is all about."
The defendant from Salford, Greater Manchester is charged with three counts of religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress under the Crime and Disorder Act. The alleged offences took place on separate dates in November and December 2008.
Mr Taylor denied the charges and said it was "preposterous" to suggest that people could be incited to violence by the cartoons. He said: "I am not hostile to religious people but I am hostile to religion."
He told the court that he adapted cartoons cut out of newspaper and magazines like Private Eye and added captions of his own.
The images shown to the jury included a drawing of the Pope with a condom on his finger, and a picture of a woman kneeling in front of a Catholic priest captioned with a crude pun. In another image sausages were were labelled as "The Koran".
The trial continues.
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He only produced cartoons mocking religion but funny he was found guilty by a judge and jury right here in the UK.....
On 4 March 2010, a jury returned a verdict of guilty against Harry Taylor, who was charged under Part 4A of the Public Order Act 1986.
Taylor was charged because he left anti-religious cartoons in the prayer-room of Liverpool's John Lennon Airport on three occasions in 2008.
The airport chaplain, who was insulted, offended, and alarmed by the cartoons, called the police.
On 23 April 2010, Judge Charles James of Liverpool Crown Court sentenced Taylor to a six-month term of imprisonment suspended for two years, made him subject to a five-year Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) (which bans him from carrying religiously offensive material in a public place), ordered him to perform 100 hours of unpaid work, and ordered him to pay £250 costs.
Taylor was also convicted of similar offences in 2006.
Philosophy tutor in court for leaving anti-religious cartoons in John Lennon airport
The materials dumped by Harry Taylor at Liverpool's John Lennon airport included "sexually abusive and sexually unpleasant cartoons", a jury heard yesterday.
One image showed a smiling Christ on the cross next to an advert for a brand of "no nails" glue. In another, Islamic suicide bombers at the gates of paradise are told: " Stop, stop, we've run out of virgins."
A further cartoon showed two Muslims holding a placard demanding equality with the caption: "Not for women or gays, obviously."
Mr Taylor, 59, a self-styled philosophy tutor, denied bearing a grudge against people of faith and said he was only trying to "convert" believers to atheism.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that he left the materials in John Lennon airport as a tribute to the former Beatle, whose most acclaimed solo work Imagine referenced "a world with no religion".
He said: "The airport is named after John Lennon and his views on religion were pretty much the same as mine. I thought that it was an insult to his memory to have a prayer room in the airport."
The leaflets were discovered by Nicky Lees, the airport chaplain, who told the court she felt "deeply offended and insulted" by their contents.
Outlining the case against Mr Taylor, prosecutor Neville Biddle said that he had gone beyond freedom of expression by leaving the "insulting, threatening and abusive" images in a room used for worship.
He said: "Of course people have a right to speak freely and have a right to insult people. It is one of the most important rights we have and it must be jealously guarded.
"But it is a right not without some prescription. Mr Taylor exceeded that right."
Addressing the jury he continued: "Your decision will not be easy. You are the conscience of society and you must decide what you are prepared to put up with and what goes beyond reasonable bounds. You are twelve tolerant reasonable British people who know what freedom of speech is all about."
The defendant from Salford, Greater Manchester is charged with three counts of religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress under the Crime and Disorder Act. The alleged offences took place on separate dates in November and December 2008.
Mr Taylor denied the charges and said it was "preposterous" to suggest that people could be incited to violence by the cartoons. He said: "I am not hostile to religious people but I am hostile to religion."
He told the court that he adapted cartoons cut out of newspaper and magazines like Private Eye and added captions of his own.
The images shown to the jury included a drawing of the Pope with a condom on his finger, and a picture of a woman kneeling in front of a Catholic priest captioned with a crude pun. In another image sausages were were labelled as "The Koran".
The trial continues.
----------------------
He only produced cartoons mocking religion but funny he was found guilty by a judge and jury right here in the UK.....
On 4 March 2010, a jury returned a verdict of guilty against Harry Taylor, who was charged under Part 4A of the Public Order Act 1986.
Taylor was charged because he left anti-religious cartoons in the prayer-room of Liverpool's John Lennon Airport on three occasions in 2008.
The airport chaplain, who was insulted, offended, and alarmed by the cartoons, called the police.
On 23 April 2010, Judge Charles James of Liverpool Crown Court sentenced Taylor to a six-month term of imprisonment suspended for two years, made him subject to a five-year Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) (which bans him from carrying religiously offensive material in a public place), ordered him to perform 100 hours of unpaid work, and ordered him to pay £250 costs.
Taylor was also convicted of similar offences in 2006.
