Man attacked Masonic hall claiming group ‘was racist’
AMAN smashed the windows of a Masonic hall with a wrench claiming it was ‘‘institutionally racist’’.
David Farry also targeted a car at the building in Kings Heath, Birmingham, claiming he had been ‘‘hypnotised’’ and ‘‘drugged up’’ without his consent.
The 51-year-old, from Druids Heath, admitted three charges of criminal damage and was handed a four-month jail sentence suspended for two years.
The hearing at Birmingham Crown Court also saw a debate about whether Freemasonry was a religion, which would have ‘aggravated’ the offences, but Recorder John Steel QC ruled that it was not.
Unemployed Farry first targeted the Moseley Masonic Hall, in Alcester Road South, on January 8 by smashing the windows, causing £1,087 worth of damage. The building’s caretaker, who is not a member of the organisation, witnessed the attack.
Then on February 13 the defendant targeted an Audi owned by the husband of the caretaker, causing hundreds of pounds of damage to the windows.
He then struck at the lodge again on March 6, smashing 12 windows. The incident was captured on a mobile phone by a witness and Farry was arrested. He was also identified as the culprit in the earlier attacks.
Rupert Jones, prosecuting, said: “When police arrested the defendant he made some comments about the Masons, that they were institutionally racist and referred to them being dirty perverts. In a bag in his possession he had a wrench and a Stanley blade. The wrench was likely to be the tool used to smash the glass.”
Mr Jones told the court that the caretaker had been left feeling ‘‘frightened’’ and not wanting to go out in the dark anymore.
Guy Wyatt, defending, stated Farry had been assessed as having mental health issues but said: “He doesn’t accept that. He is very clear that what has led to his offending is that he has been the target of continuing behaviour throughout his life, he has been hypnotised and drugged without his knowledge causing him to offend.”
Recorder Steel handed Farry a four-month sentence, suspended for two years, along with a community order including 30 days of rehabilitation activity.
He also made an indefinite restraining order banning Farry attending the Moseley Masonic Hall, entering its grounds or going within 200 metres of it unless he was on public transport or in a moving vehicle.
Regarding the nature of the Freemasons Mr Wyatt compared it to a ‘‘golf club’’. Referring to the United Grand Lodge of England’s website he said: “It is a non-religious, non political, fraternal and charitable organisation.”
He added it was ‘‘expected’’ that members should have a religious belief but it was not stipulated what that belief should be.
Recorder Steel concurred with the argument and said: “It’s not a religious group as stated itself by the United Grand Lodge. It is, however, an organisation which is known to exist throughout the world and is of certain reputations but it is not relevant to this case whether or not the court has regard to what it practises.”