Hamza guilty of race hate charges
Muslim cleric Abu Hamza has been found guilty of a series of race hate and soliciting to murder charges by an Old Bailey jury.
Hamza was convicted of six out of nine soliciting to murder charges and two out of four charges under the Public Order Act 1986 of "using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with the intention of stirring up racial hatred".
He was also convicted of a charge of possession of video and audio recordings which he intended to distribute to stir up racial hatred and a final charge, under section 58 of the Terrorism Act, of possession of a document, the Encyclopaedia Of The Afghani Jihad, which contained information "of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism".
Hamza was convicted on the fourth day of jury deliberations.
The prosecution had alleged that he was a recruiting sergeant for terrorism and murder.
In Hamza's talks to audiences at the Finsbury Park mosque, north London, and in Luton, Blackburn and Whitechapel, east London, "he was preaching terrorism, homicidal violence and hatred".
Hamza made clear encouragements to kill when he gave lectures and sermons, according to David Perry, prosecuting.
He had "used the most dangerous weapons available - a great religion, Islam, his position as a civic leader and the power of words, his own words".
Nine of Hamza's speeches were played to the jury during his trial - eight on video and one audio. Jurors were given nearly 600 A4 pages of transcripts of his talks - which were often loud, emphatic and sometimes barely audible. The prosecution alleged that as well as his role as recruiting officer for homicidal violence, Hamza had also preached hatred.
