‘Paedophile hunter’ jailed for racially abusing protesters

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

A self-styled paedophile hunter who racially abused pro-Palestinian demonstrators has told a court he had been a “stupid, drunken idiot” as he was jailed for eight months.

Phil Hoban, 48, was a prominent figure in an anti-immigration demonstration in the centre of Leeds on Saturday August 3, where he could be seen shouting at hundreds of rival protesters and leading the chanting.

On Thursday he was jailed by a judge who detailed how the defendant “climbed on to a barrier and started rubbing your lips towards a person of colour” and was then part of a group “who were making similarly racist and insulting gestures, some making monkey noises and gestures”.

The Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl KC, said to Hoban: “You then started to imitate the manner in which Muslim people pray, in order to mock their religion and, at a slightly later time, you were chanting “Allah, Allah, who the f*** is Allah?”

The judge heard how, after his arrest, Hoban disputed this last statement, telling police he was chanting; “Who the f*** is Alan?”

The anti-immigration demo in Leeds city centre was part of a series across England.

Despite some scuffles with police, who formed a cordon to separate the rival protesters, the event did not turn violent in the same way as others in Hull and Liverpool on the same day.

Judge Kearl told Hoban: “What you have done cannot be viewed in isolation. It must be viewed against the background of unrest and disorder in the country.

“This was your contribution to that disorder both in this city and nationwide.

“Your conduct and that of your group was designed to stir up hatred. It took place at a time when the social climate was particularly sensitive.”

Father-of-three Hoban is the founder of Predator Exposure – a group which set-up sting operations against men who made contact with fake profiles of teenage girls they set up online.

The group’s activities resulted in prosecutions, including that of Irish TV producer Kieran Creaven who was jailed in 2018 after he was tricked by Predator Exposure into flying from Dublin to Leeds to meet a “girl” he had groomed on Facebook with hundreds of messages.

In 2019, Hoban was one of a group of six from Predator Exposure who went on trial accused of offences including false imprisonment following sting operations against two men.

But they were all acquitted by a jury after telling the court they were engaged in lawful citizens’ arrests.

Before he was sentenced on Thursday, Hoban told the judge at Leeds Crown Court: “I would like to apologise to the people I offended and am truly sorry for the offence I have caused to them. I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

“I’m no racist and it’s killing me inside being labelled this.”

Hoban, who told the court he could not afford a barrister, said from the dock that he is mixed race, has three mixed-race children and detailed charity work he did with the black and Asian communities in Beeston, Leeds.

He told Judge Kearl he had hurt his family “all for being a stupid, drunken idiot”.

He also said he is stepping down from his “child protection” work which, he told the court, had snared 440 online predators.

The court heard Hoban has 24 previous convictions for 66 separate offences including burglary, affray, possessing a bladed article, arson and drug-related matters.

Hoban, of Northcote Crescent, Leeds, was jailed after previously admitting causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress.

He appeared in the dock alongside James Gettings, 35, who was also jailed for eight months.

A video of Gettings mocking Muslim people praying was shown to Judge Kearl on Thursday.

Gettings, of Landseer Walk, Bramley, Leeds, admitted causing religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress at a previous hearing.

Carmel Pearson, prosecuting, said Gettings told police after he was arrested that he was “disgusted” by his own behaviour, he had been disowned by members of his family and that “three seconds of madness has ruined his life”.