91Èȱ¬

A man who claimed he was trying to protect a mosque from being attacked by "racists" has been jailed.

Prosecutors said about 60 Asian men clashed with about 30 white men in Darlington on the night of 5 August, with police caught in the middle.

Ashkan Kareem, 33 and from Bishop Auckland, admitted violent disorder having turned himself into police and was jailed for a year at Teesside Crown Court.

Chief Constable Rachel Bacon said the disorder had "traumatised the "diverse community" and officers faced "unprecedented levels of hatred".

Prosecutor Rachel Masters said Kareem was part of a group of Asian men who charged towards opponents on North Lodge Terrace in Darlington during an hour-long confrontation.

She said he was seen throwing an object, although he later claimed he was just making the motion to try to scare people off.

In mitigation, Mark Phillips said Kareem had gone to Darlington to buy food as he had feared going to Middlesbrough during to disorder there.

"He became aware of a mosque being targeted and a group of racists basically gathering to take action," Mr Phillips said.

He said Kareem, of Grey Street, accepted he ran at the opposing group and "regretted his actions", but it was the other group that had created community fear.

Judge Francis Laird KC said Kareem had an application for asylum in the UK rejected in 2022.

He said he was part of a group which gathered in opposition to men who were "chanting racist and far-right slogans", but it was "abundantly clear that would result in violence and it did".

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