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22
Nov
Harrogate man, 85, fined for leaving 'Hitler was right' message on synagogue voicemail
Warning: this story contains very offensive language.
An elderly Harrogate man has been fined for calling a local synagogue and leaving an abusive voicemail that included saying "Hitler was right".
Robert Joyner, 85, pleaded guilty to one offence of racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Thursday (November 20).
Alison Whiteley, prosecuting, told the court Joyner called Harrogate Synagogue – officially known as Harrogate Hebrew Congregation – just after 10.15pm on May 25, but his call went unanswered.
Joyner decided to leave a voicemail, which was later picked up by a member of the congregation. In it, he said: “Hitler was right”.
The defendant made a further abusive comment.
The court heard the woman who picked up the voicemail was so shocked and upset by it she audibly gasped, which prompted her husband to ask what was wrong.
When she told her husband, he was equally upset.
Ms Whiteley said:
She worries they [congregation] are at risk of the defendant turning up and harming her and other people at the synagogue.
She says they are already cautious about who they let into the synagogue and now even more so.
The recipient of the call only told a few people about the voicemail as she “did not want to cause hysteria” among the community.
Ms Whiteley said Joyner admitted the offence to police but showed no remorse for his actions and told officers his motivation was the conflict in the Middle East.
Joyner, of Pannal Ash Grove, is of previous good character.
Footage of conflict prompted defendant’s call, court hears
Andrew Tinning, defending, told the court Joyner had been watching a news item about the conflict that evening.
He said:
Mr Joyner tells me he had seen the news that night and there was a story about the conflict in Gaza, and the Israeli Defence Forces had bombed a hospital in Gaza.
It showed footage of dead and injured children, and he wanted to enter his protest.
He told police he wanted to suggest Israeli people treat people Gaza the same way as Hitler treated the Jews.
Mr Tinning called Joyner’s actions “stupid” but said it was a “one-off voicemail” and he did not continue to call Harrogate Hebrew Congregation.
The court heard Joyner suffers from “mild cognitive impairment” and saw someone about this in March.
Police made enquiries to see if Joyner is “someone suffering with issues that come with old age” and there were, but Mr Tinning said they were “not enough to not bring the case to court”.
Mr Tinning added:
There were no direct questions [by police] about how Mr Joyner feels about [his actions] and he has said he is not suggesting what Hitler or the Nazis did is in anyway OK.
He just tried to explain what his rather misguided protest was after what he had seen.
Joyner was ordered to pay a total of £757 to the court, comprising a £480 fine, a £192 surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs.
Passing sentence, the chair of the magistrates’ bench told Joyner:
I’m sure there are other members of the public who would support your anger towards the war in Gaza, but I hope you have learned today that there are other avenues that are legal and you can express [your views] rather than being a nuisance to people.
The Stray Ferret approached Harrogate Hebrew Congregation for comment, but we did not receive a response.
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