Man accused of stirring up racial hatred at Larkhall school walks free from court

dailyrecord.co.uk:

An alleged Nazi sympathiser accused of intending to stir up racial hatred at a school walked free from court.Darren Hurrel, 21, had charges against him dropped when a pupil failed to turn up to give evidence.

Hurrel, of Douglasdale Street, Rigside, was accused of using threatening, abusive and insulting words or behaviour in Larkhall on October 27, 2022.

The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now. Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Footage posted at the time showed him allegedly being chased by a mob of angry pupils outside Larkhall Academy.It was alleged that he spoke to children about Hitler and the Nazis, denied the Holocaust and performed Nazi salutes “while wearing racist clothing”.A second charge stated that Hurrel posted racist material on an electrical box in Clarkston Road, Glasgow, on November 9, 2022.

Hurrel denied the charges, brought under the Public Order Act 1986, when he appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court. He was allowed to leave the dock after Sheriff Siobhan Connelly refused a Crown motion to adjourn the trial to a later date.The absent pupil witness was said to be essential to the prosecution case.The trial had already been adjourned three times at the request of the Crown and defence lawyer Andy Iles opposed the latest move.He said: "This serious charge has been hanging over my client's head for a long time."He has