Qld: Call for tougher sentences for racially motivated crimes

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Qld: Call for tougher sentences for racially motivated crimes

By Suzanne Klotz

BRISBANE, Dec 10 AAP - Legislation should be changed to allow tougher sentences tobe imposed for racially motivated crimes, a judge said today.

District Court Judge Manus Boyce was sentencing Terence George Hanlon, 24, for thearson of the Kuraby Mosque on Brisbane's southside on September 22 last year, just daysafter the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Hanlon had pleaded not guilty, but was convicted by a jury in October.

Judge Boyce, sentencing Hanlon to six years jail with no recommendation for parole,said Queensland should follow the example of England and adopt tougher penalties if anattack was motivated by racial hatred.

"Australia prides itself on being fair, just and tolerant. Racial intolerance is athreat to the maintenance of a safe and decent society," Judge Boyce told Hanlon.

"I urge that the Queensland Criminal Code be amended to provide for more severe sentencesfor attacks that are racially motivated.

"The fact that a crime is racially motivated should be a serious circumstance of aggravation."

Hanlon had told his girlfriend just hours before the fire that he wanted the mosqueburnt down, and had yelled out "let the war begin" to a woman passing by the mosque.

One week later Hanlon told a friend "we should nuke them all", and displayed greatglee at the burning of the mosque, the judge said.

The Kuraby Mosque was uninsured and suffered $113,000 damage.

Following his trial, Hanlon also pleaded guilty to two counts of receiving.

This involved possession of a police constable's card and blue revolving light whichhe had used to impersonate a police officer to get half price at McDonald's and to pullover unsuspecting motorists.

He was also found in possession of a stolen phone simcard, which he used to make threateningcalls to a young woman who wrote to the editor of a local newspaper criticising the arsonattack as cowardly.

Defence counsel Chris Wilson said Hanlon, a former security guard, suffered from amajor depressive illness, and had attempted suicide.

AAP smk/jfs/sp/sb

KEYWORD: HANLON