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Convicted: Serena Fenton, 56, was found guilty at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on two counts of racially aggravated Section 5 Public Order Act offences. The charges stemmed from a placard she wore during two pro-Palestine protests, described as abusive, threatening, and premeditated to cause distress. The placard, worn on April 13 and May 1, read: "They walk amongst!! Beware!! Thousands of war criminals will soon be walking our streets; rapists, child-killers, perverts, torturers, thieves, psychopaths! They are dangerous! Do not approach unless armed! They will face justice." It also featured a large image of Rabbi Zecharia Deutsch. Fenton was reported to police after the first protest, and on May 1, officers noticed her wearing the same placard and arrested her. Police testified that she was uncooperative, forcing officers to use pressure points on her neck to ensure compliance. She gave a no-comment interview in custody and was charged to appear in court. During the trial, a Section 4A Public Order Act charge was dropped after Rabbi Deutsch, a key witness, could not attend due to relocating to Israel. However, other witnesses provided evidence, including Sgt. Cooke, who arrested Fenton, and a member of the Leeds Jewish community. The community witness described the placard as "extremely alarming" and "clearly designed to cause distress," adding that its language targeted Jewish people under the guise of ambiguity. He testified that phrases like "they" and "armed" were thinly veiled attempts to incite hatred, claiming that Rabbi Deutsch was "a figure of unimpeachable repute." Fenton denied targeting the Jewish community, asserting that "they" referred to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and "armed" meant "armed with knowledge." When pressed on why she didn’t use clearer language such as "The IDF" or "armed with knowledge," she gave inconsistent explanations. Additionally, during her defense, she referred to Rabbi Deutsch as "Mr Douche," which we believe is another deliberate insult but was not picked up on by the court. In his judgment, the magistrate noted that Fenton’s placard was displayed in public, where it was seen by children and members of the Jewish community. He concluded that her explanations "did not stand up to scrutiny" and found the wording to be "extremely threatening" and "clear incitement to vigilante justice." Fenton was found guilty on two counts of racially aggravated Section 5 Public Order offences. She was ordered to pay a £400 fine, £600 in prosecution costs, and a £160 surcharge, totaling £1,160.

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