Two Britons who fled to the United States after they were accused of waging a campaign of hate against Jews and other minority groups appeared in front of a British court today after they were returned to the UK.
Simon Sheppard, 52, and Stephen Whittle, 42, were convicted of a number of race-hate crimes at Leeds Crown Court following two lengthy trials, the last of which finished in January.
Simon Sheppard, 52, and Stephen Whittle, 42, were convicted of a number of race-hate crimes at Leeds Crown Court following two lengthy trials, the last of which finished in January.
By then the pair had skipped bail and fled to California.
The men sought asylum under the US's free speech protections, claiming they were being persecuted for their right-wing views.
They were taken into custody at Los Angeles International Airport when they asked a uniformed US official for help.
But, following a year in the US, an immigration judge ordered that the men be deported.
Sheppard and Whittle arrived at Heathrow Airport yesterday and appeared at Leeds Crown Court this afternoon.
In a brief hearing, they were remanded in custody and told they will be sentenced on July 10.
Whittle smirked as his barrister, Adrian Davies, told Judge Rodney Grant there would be no application for bail.
The investigation into the men began when a complaint about a leaflet called 'Tales of the Holohoax' was reported to the police in 2004 after it was pushed through the door of a Synagogue in Blackpool.
It was traced back to a post office box in Hull registered to Sheppard.Police later found a website featuring racially inflammatory material.
Prosecutors said one of the leaflets officers found suggested Auschwitz was in fact a holiday camp provided by the Nazi regime and to which Jews from all over Europe came to enjoy a free holiday.
The pair were charged with publishing racially inflammatory material; distributing racially inflammatory material, and possessing racially inflammatory material with a view to distribution.
Sheppard, of Brook Street, Selby, and Whittle, of Avenham Lane, Preston, denied the charges.
In July last year Sheppard was found guilty of 11 offences and Whittle was found guilty of five.
The jury was unable to agree a verdict on a further seven charges against Sheppard and it was decided to have a retrial on six of these charges.
The retrial began in December 2008 and concluded in January.
Today, Mr Davies told the court Whittle had effectively come back to the UK voluntarily as the United States authorities had given him the opportunity to be deported to New Zealand. He said he also holds a New Zealand passport.
Judge Grant told the pair: 'These are serious matters and you must understand that prison is in the forefront of my mind.'continues here
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