Polish pair jailed for throwing bacon at worshipers in North London mosque

Two people have been jailed for throwing bacon inside a North London mosque in a racially motivated attack. Polish nationals Mateusz Pawlikowski, 22 and Piotr Czak-Zukowski, 28, both of Sneath Avenue, were sentenced for criminal damage and racial/religious public offence order after hurling bacon at worshippers inside Al-Rahman Mosque in Crowndale Road on 2 October.

Blackfriars Crown Court heard how Pawlikowski approached one of the worshippers, swore at him, and threw a rasher of bacon towards him, before throwing more bacon on the floor of the prayer room.

After fleeing the scene, Pawlikowski was arrested just minutes away from the Mosque after being stopped for matching the witnesses' description. When officers arrested Czak-Zukowski, who again matched the witness description, in Camden Lock, he was carrying an empty packet of bacon in his pocket.

Both men were arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred and taken into custody. The pair have now been sentenced to eight months' imprisonment for criminal damage and eight months' imprisonment for a racial / religious public order offence. The sentences are to run concurrently.

DC Tracey McMath, from the Camden Community Safety Unit, said: "The defendants showed a complete disregard for the faith and belief of others in this callous and highly offensive incident; and I hope their convictions highlight that we will not tolerate hate crime in any of its forms.

"I know this incident has had a significant impact on the community and commend the victims for speaking up. Hate crime is often a hidden crime and it is essential we stand together with policing partners, colleagues and groups to investigate all such allegations, support victims and bring perpetrators to justice."