‘Paedophile hunter’ jailed for racially abusing protesters
Phil Hoban, who founded the group Predator Exposure, hurled abuse at non-white pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Leeds.
A self-styled paedophile hunter who racially abused pro-Palestinian demonstrators has told a court he had been a “stupid, drunken idiot” as he was jailed for eight months.
Phil Hoban, 48, was a prominent figure in an anti-immigration demonstration in the centre of Leeds on Saturday August 3, where he could be seen shouting at hundreds of rival protesters and leading the chanting.
On Thursday he was jailed by a judge who detailed how the defendant “climbed on to a barrier and started rubbing your lips towards a person of colour” and was then part of a group “who were making similarly racist and insulting gestures, some making monkey noises and gestures”.
The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl KC, said to Hoban: “You then started to imitate the manner in which Muslim people pray, in order to mock their religion and, at a slightly later time, you were chanting “Allah, Allah, who the f*** is Allah?”
The judge heard how, after his arrest, Hoban disputed this last statement, telling police he was chanting; “Who the f*** is Alan?”
The anti-immigration demo in Leeds city centre was part of a series across England.
Despite some scuffles with police, who formed a cordon to separate the rival protesters, the event did not turn violent in the same way as others in Hull and Liverpool on the same day.
