A hospital contractor received a suspended prison sentence today for posting racially-offensive Pokemon-themed stickers of London Mayor Sadiq Khan and other high-profile muslims.
Commuter Neil Froggatt, 48, claims ’Sharia Patrol’ gangs patrolling around the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel in the heart of the East End’s muslim community triggered his campaign.
The married father-of-three, of Stroudes Close, Worcester Park, Kingston-upon-Thames randomly placed the stickers - offensively titled ‘Pakemon’ - as he travelled around the capital.
The stickers contained the tagline: ‘Gotta catch and deport them all’ awarding ‘Terror Points’ to other individuals including ex-US President Barack Obama, dubbed: ‘Obamabinlyin’.
He is described as the ‘USA’s Muslim in Chief’ and Mayor Khan is dubbed ‘Hamaskhan’ and described as the “most dangerous” Pakemon.
Froggatt pleaded guilty to racially and religiously-aggravated criminal damage between November 16 and November 29, 2016.
He also pleaded guilty to possessing articles, namely the stickers, with intent to destroy property between November 16 and December 2, 2016.
He admitted sticking them on London Underground walls as well as local noticeboards and other locations around the capital.
Blackfriars Crown Court Recorder Joel Bennathan QC sentenced the first-time offender, who is currently claiming universal credit, to ten weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years, plus 75 hours community service work.
“This is one of those cases where the racial aggravation totally changes the nature of the offence,” he told Froggatt, whose career has been destroyed since he was exposed.
“You arranged to have a very large number of racially-aggravated stickers produced. You stuck them up, filmed yourself sticking them up and boasted about it on twitter.
“You had thousands of followers who also did stick them up and made racially-aggravated comments.”
Froggatt placed the stickers on a wall and stairway at Kennington Underground Station; a Tesco’s cashpoint in Worcester Park; a Sutton council noticeboard; the Plough Inn pub, Kingston and a Martins Newsagents noticeboard in Old Malden.
At the end of 2016 there were reports of racist Pokemon-themed stickers being plastered on tubes, trains and buses all over London.
Prosecutor Ms Carole Fern told the court: “It is a sophisticated offence of racially, religiously aggravated criminal damage.
“Mr. Froggatt has gone to great lengths to manufacture stickers, a parody of Pokemon.
“There are twelve different cards with different terror points ranging from a muslim Uber driver to President Obama and Sadiq Khan and they have ‘weaknesses’ on the cards that borders on inciting violence.”
The Uber-driver card, dubbed ‘Uberrapey’ is described as being vulnerable ‘to a cricket bat around the knees’.
The character is also described as as someone who ‘likes to drug young non muslim girls and rape them in his Uber cab’.
“People in the real world are following these cards and trading them in so it had the potential for something troubling,” added Ms Fern.
“We have statements from members of the public who were disgusted by what they saw, not muslims, but people saying they were living in a multicultural society.
“Even Mr. Froggatt’s own partner is not happy. She says to get this out of our house and away from our children.”
Using social media police tracked down Froggatt, who was arrested during a raid on his home on December 1, 2016 and his remaining cards were in his private lock-up nearby.
His lawyer Ms Vida Simpeh said Froggatt was upset about being challenged in Whitechapel one weekend as not looking like he came from the area.
“He explained that there were other incidents of people from the hospital harassed by ‘Sharia Patrol’ leaving work for wearing skirts above the knee and extensive material posted around the hospital for female genital mutilation (FGM).”
There were also FGM patients treated at the hospital and Froggatt joined ‘VOICE’ (Victims of Islamic Cultural Expression), which he claims raises funds for female victims of domestic violence.
“The background was to highlight, in his view, the ridiculous ideologies borne by religious muslims,” said Ms Simpeh.
“He accepts his actions were wrong and he accepts responsibility. He is unemployed as a result of publicity around this case, he lost two contracts when reported and one more the day after pleading guilty.”
Froggatt has children aged three, thirteen and eighteen years-old. “He has damaged beyond repair his career and this is ongoing.
“He was not the person who manufactured or finalised the designs. He accepts distributing and was not the person who came up with the name ‘Pakemon.’
Another card was of ‘Ginger Jihadi’ Jordan Horner, dubbed on the stickers as: ‘Gingermo’, whose weakness was being ‘allergic to sunlight.’
A website openly sought recruits to distribute the stickers, which were also seen in West Berkshire and at an M6 service station near Knutsford, Cheshire.
Recorder Bennathan told Froggatt: “The public really do have a right to go about their business without being mocked and abused by the campaign you were involved in.”
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