Dominic Kennedy
Win VIP tickets
The British National Party has said that it will hold a rally in honour of its first claimed martyr, whose Asian killer was jailed for eight years for manslaughter yesterday.
Keith Brown, a father of eight and friend of the party leader, Nick Griffin, was stabbed to death by his neighbour Habib Khan, a Muslim community leader. A judge said that the dead white man and his skinhead son had both been involved in acts of racial aggression towards the Khan family.
The BNP said that it will hold a rally in Stoke-on-Trent on September 20 to protest about the case and Staffordshire Police’s handling of the long-running neighbours’ dispute. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) announced that it had cleared the force of any blame.
Officers had dealt with more than 100 complaints in five years from the feuding families.
Khan, 49, had been cleared of murder but was found guilty of manslaughter after a jury heard that he stabbed Mr Brown, 52, with a kitchen knife during a row on the pavement.
Judge Simon Tonking said that although Khan was acting in defence of his own son, his action in stabbing Mr Brown went beyond that which was reasonable. Khan had to be punished with “a significant custodial sentence”.
Julia Barker, the mother of Mr Brown’s children, said: “There has been no justice done. We knew it wasn’t going to get done. They are always crying out this racial abuse. They attacked our family. Mr Khan had a panic button put in, Mr Brown didn’t. Both should have been treated equal. When it was our family, nothing was done. The police let our family down as far as I am concerned. Me and the rest of my children will never be able to forget what happened that day. It is a disgrace. He’s got away with it.”
The far Right has portrayed Mr Brown as the “first nationalist victim of Islamic jihad against Great Britain”. Stoke’s BNP councillors shouldered the coffin at his funeral, which is posted on YouTube.
Michael Coleman, a BNP councillor in Stoke, where the far-right party is now placed second only to Labour in the popular vote, said: “We have a man here who has been murdered in the street. It is an outrageous betrayal of justice. Staffordshire Police . . . go softly with ethnic minorities [unlike] the indigenous population. We won’t put up with being treated like this.”
An IPCC investigation released yesterday cleared the force of any blame. Len Jackson, a commissioner, said: “The evidence suggests that on a number of occasions Staffordshire Police attempted to resolve the issues between Mr Brown and Mr Khan. However, no one could have anticipated that this long-running neighbour dispute would have such a tragic outcome.” The Khans were given a panic button after Mr Brown’s teenage son Ashley beat his middle-aged Asian neighbour unconscious.
The police had attempted mediation between the two families but found Mr Brown “immovable”.
The IPCC discovered that the BNP became involved when one of Mr Brown’s friends suggested that a BNP councillor could help with the neighbours’ dispute. The BNP alleged that police had refused to study a homemade DVD offered to them showing a member of Khan’s family kicking Mr Brown’s knee. However, the IPCC said that the DVD only showed a young Asian man apparently making a kicking motion. Mr Brown is off screen, no contact can be seen and, although there is good audio, no sound comes from Mr Brown.
Minutes of that meeting between police and the BNP describe the DVD as showing an argument about the location of a fence and make no mention of any crime.
The Browns claimed that the police ignored incidents where the Khans poisoned their puppy and cut their brake leads, but no records of such complaints were discovered.
Win a luxury weekend to Newcastle and its neighbour Gateshead, find out more here
Risk, resilience and embracing new technology
Industry sectors news at a glance. Interactive heatmap, video and podcast
Discover the power of collective thinking. Submit a solution and be in with a chance to win a Media Hub Home Entertainment System
The inside track on current trends in the charity, not for profit and social enterprise sectors
Everything the Business Traveller needs to know to make a better trip
Make the most of the summer and enter our fabulous photographic competition, you could win a £5000 holiday
Corsica is an island of beauty and contrast, an ideal holiday destination
Enjoy further reading from Travel to Fashion, Business to Sport, discover more
Shortcuts to help you find sections and articles
The clever way to lease a new car is with Car leasing made simple™
2009
per month on 36-month
Personal Contract Hire (PCH)
2008
42850
Car Insurance
£23,093 - £56,211
The Office for National Statistics
Newport, South Wales
£60,000
The Environment Agency
Bristol
Up to £90K
Boots
Midlands
OTE £85k
Credit Protection Association
Nationwide Opportunities
Completely London
Luxury Condo's in Manhattan with NYC views
The best new homes in Wimbledon?
Nationwide
Fabulous Cruise And Cruise & Stay Offers Including Virgin Atlantic Flights Prices Start From Only £699pp!
Last Minute Cruise And Cruise & Stay Offers. Med From £499pp, Caribbean From £699pp!
5 star quality at a 3 star price.
8 fabulous Canadian cities ...you won’t find cheaper
Contact our advertising team for advertising and sponsorship in Times Online, The Times and The Sunday Times, or place your advertisement.
Times Online Services: Dating | Jobs | Property Search | Used Cars | Holidays | Births, Marriages, Deaths | Subscriptions | E-paper
News International associated websites: Globrix Property Search | Property Finder | Milkround
Copyright 2009 Times Newspapers Ltd.
This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701. VAT number GB 243 8054 69.
A manslaughter charge was agreed upon because of the long-term aggravation and violence from the Browns including elder assault plus the police could find no conciliation from them.
BNP are known to be into race-hate from undercover filming and exploits abroad & would probably not be able to help.
Manda, Worcester,
The establishment is busy wallpapering over the cracks whilst below the surface the plaster is crumbling and the bricks are ready to fall .
RIP Keith
Dave, Derbyshire,
what about the innocent muslim teen who was stabbed to death in dewsbury after a shopping trip with his friends?have we forgot about that,it wasnt publicised either.Theres been so many incidents where asian youths are attacked and even murdered,why is it that no one hears about them?
ally, leeds, west yorkshire
8 years for killing someone seems short to me. No wonder BNP members are outraged. If they'd given life this wouldn't even be an issue. Equal treatment for ALL would mean race wouldn't even register on the political radar. Just shows just how far political correctness has gone.
Lewis, Heanor, Derbyshire
All the BNP want to do in Stoke is cause hatrted & unrest, remember the holocaust? never again Mr Griffin,
Gwen Stevens, Liverpool,
I wonder where the BNP got the idea to hold a martydom parade from?. Maybe from Nick Griffins countless journeys to Muslim countries years ago?, or maybe his meeting with Col. Gadaffi when he was still considered a leader of a terrorist country?. Around 59m white Caucasians discriminated? Bull.
Alex, London, UK
Woah...the report clearly shows ALL the abuse was coming from the Brown family.
Mr Brown's son beat Mr Khan unconscious?
No proof of the Brown's claims?The Muslim family had been the subject of a hate campaign of violence and threats and the dad finally lost it after intense provocation
Rachel, Highbury, UK
Sorry rabid lefties, but Brown used to give Khan a lift to work. Hardly the actions of a racist.
Dave, Swansea, UK
I am a BNP member and im neither a racist or nuckle dragging skinhead. the party predicted that no justice would come from this trial and he verdict again proves the BNP right in what they say. you the press are as guilty as the establishment in you misrepesentation of the BNP. truth= www.bnp.org.uk
lenny smith, wolverhamton, england
Peter, and manslaughter is manslaughter, he was not convicted of murder
peter c, Devizes, Wessex
What a disgrace, once again the ethnics get preferential treatment. Had Mr Brown killed Mr Khan you can bet Mr Brown would have got life. I hope the BNP sweep the board in Stokes next Council election and that other councils suffer the same fate. Time we took our country back.
PKenny, Bradford, West Yorkshire
I always knew it wouldn't be long till we had Hamas style Martyr parades in England. But I honestly thought it would the Islamic fascists carrying it out rather that the "indigenous" ones.
J. Cheval, Nottingham,
Enoch was right.Non whites do have the whip because they can play the race card at any time of their wrong doings to avoid being punished.
John, Leeds, Yorkshire
If the boot were on the other foot I'm sure the outcome would be very differnt! This country is shocking is you are not a "minority"
mark, Leeds,
In the same newspaper where I read about this, there was a report about a man who knifed his partner to death because she threw some broccoli at him. Fair and just justice system? I think not!
kim, london,
Shows the BNP up for what they are - making a martyr out of the head of a problem family who went out of their way to racially abuse their neighbours.
It is the BNP who are the real terrorists.
trev, stoke, england
How many of you can claim you wouldn't do the same as Mr Khan did to defend your son from racism? Racial relations would be greatly improved if the BNP didn't exist anymore. The BNP don't have any councillors down here and there hasn't been any violence.
Nick, Cardiff, Wales
Bad call. I dont know the facts so I'm not going to comment on that but 8 years for an inflicted death is scandalously low. The BNP's strength can only grow from this case.
Phill, The Wirral, England
Our country is so democratic that we want to deny the right of existence to a democratically elected party? Many people share the views of the BNP, and the more people try to deny that, the stronger they will rightfully get.
Ellie, Yarmouth, UK
This will give the BNP a much louder voice and rightly so. How on earth a judge cannot pass a charge of murder when the man clearly came out with a knife in his hand(intent), while not being attacked is beyond me.
Had Mr Brown killed Mr Khan, it would've been all over he papers as a racist attack.
Mark, London, England
What would of happened if an Asian was stabbed by an Englishman, the media would have had a field day, it a racist attack this should work the same for all races, that's called justice,something we have now lost to suit the multicultural experiment in modern Britain.
Lawrence West, Torquay, England
Stabbed in the back while his two sons were fighting with Mr Brown is not murder because Mr Browns political views were not PC . The race card once againg played as a defence to justifie murder disgusting and a wake up call to us all.
Larry, Nantwich, uk
I dont know 100% truth in this but Aslamic Jihad is not it. When The BNP is involved truth will be the first casualty. This sounds like the ususal problems associated with bad neighbours with an unhealthy dose of rasicm mixed in.
Wilkinson, Newcastle,
the man was stabbed in the back.
Dave, London, England
mr brown did not get the justice that he deserved and the people of stoke on trent know this and resent it . he was a b.n.p. member and that alone takes courage when the establishment media turn everything that they say and do inside out .
dave, andover, united kingdom
"BNP to honour martyr with rally as Asian neighbour gets eight years for manslaughter"
So they should. This Muslims man stabbed an unarmed man in the back remember!. Whenever a non white is murdered in this country it's racist but never when a white person is killed by an ethnic.
John, salford, england
Obviously didn't like the presence of a staunch Muslim neighbour. What that consists of exactly - the culture, behaviour, social attitudes and activities - should be fair game for scrutiny and objections which the police no doubt blocked and denied. A tragic story, but should not be glossed over.
Joe, Manchester,
When Stephen Laurence was murdered, the media rightly went to town over the issue. What I ask myself is why they dont do the same when whites are killed by the same type of intolerable racism? Can we say that the indigenous population really is now second class in its own country?
Matt, Naples, Italy
The gutless rats who denied keith brown justice will one day answer for their actions.The likes of ian payne from walsall is one of those luvvies who loves to bury his head in the sand.Ian i say to you get ready for a BNP goverment we are here and here to stay.
kenny jones, chester, flintshire
Best thing to do is just ignore the BNP and not let them raise the blood pressure !!!!!!!!!!!!!
ian payne, WALSALL,
I would like to see an unbiased account of both sides of the story not just the establishment's version. I suspect politics played a bigger role here than justice did.
Peter Hastings, Folkestone, England
I think it was Margaret Thatcher who said "Murder is Murder "
Peter, Vancouver BC., Canada
It's so predictable that the BNP would claim this as martyrdom, when its plainly an unfortunate manslaughter. I hope the people of Stoke can see through the empty BNP rhetoric, and their pitiful attempt to turn the deceased into their Horst Wessel.
Dan, Leeds,
Double standards as usual.
The authorities in this country are to scared to deal with complaints made about asians for fear of being labled "racist".
I dont know the circumstances concerning this case but im willing to bet it could have been avoided had the police been allowed to do their jobs
Brian , edinburgh, scotland
I agree completely with Jack, you have a duty to report not influence.....the stench of the credit crunch fire you the media helped to start, is hanging heavy in the air and getting up the nose of the populous!
alan, London,
It seems to have been a common dispute between neighbours, but Khan was able to politicise the trial and wasn't tried for murder because his Brown was in the BNP.
A dangerous precedent has been set - if you don't want unlimited immigration you aren't entitled to the same amount of state protection.
Roger B, Norwich,
In terms of Labour's demand that all services reflect THEIR political ideology, the police are openly biased in favour of 'minorities' and against, in particular, the BNP. They openly ban members from joining, and even make political statements during elections. What chance did Mr Brown have ?
S W Spiller, Cardiff, Wales
That Judge might have handed this man a pathetically low sentence of 8 years, perhaps out in four years for stabbing a knife in the BACK resulting in DEATH, but he has also probably just handed the first council on a plate to the BNP.
Muslim 'Community leader' 'skinhead' son... unbias reporting!?
Jack, North East, UK