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Saturday, April 14, 2012 Reporting local life since 1854 BY ALEX CAMPBELL BNP leader Michael Coleman has appeared in court on racism charges. The former councillor will go on trial accusedof causingracialhar- assment overa seven-month period. It is understoodthe alleg- ations relate to comments made on the defendant’s web- site. The 45-year-old lost his Meir North seat on Stoke-on-Trent City Councilin lastMay’s elec- tions. But Coleman remains the controversial party’s chief organiser
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Reporting local life since 1854 Saturday, April 14, 2012 SEN-eO1-S2 [SF] [SF] 60p CAPTAIN SMITH’S DATE WITH DESTINY APRIL 14, 1912 16-PAGE TITANIC SPECIAL INSIDE BNP LEADER ON RACE CHARGE Former city councillor asks to stand trial at crown court Way We Were The INSIDE TODAY 1 Way We Were The Saturday, April 14, 2012 Family of ship engineer will never forget PAGE 3 Harry survived Titanic and world war PAGE 6 INSIDE Share your memories...email waywewere@ thesentinel.co.uk Titanic story’s sombre impact defies the years Introducing a special edition of Way We Were, marking the centenary of the Titanic tragedy, the origins of the disaster are recalled by Alan Cookman O How Sentinel broke the news in 1912 PAGES 8&9 Titanic Centenary Special Edition BY ALEX CAMPBELL [email protected] BNP leader Michael Coleman has appeared in court on racism charges. The former councillor will go on trial accused of causing racial har- assment over a seven-month period. It is understood the alleg- ations relate to comments made on the defendant’s web- site. The 45-year-old lost his Meir North seat on Stoke-on-Trent City Council in last May’s elec- tions. But Coleman remains the controversial party’s chief organiser in the city and presented an award to Stoke-on-Trent’s BNP activist of the year during a Christmas party last December. The BNP today refused to confirm whether Coleman’s party membership had been suspended. Asked about Coleman’s court appearance, BNP national spokes- man Simon Darby said: “I’m not interested.” Coleman, of Caverswall Road, Weston Coyney, denied two charges of racially or religiously aggrav- ated harassment, alarm or distress caused by words or writing between August 2011 and March when he appeared at North Staffordshire Magis- trates’ Court. He requested a crown court trial. BNP activist and former city coun- cillor Steve Batkin, of Bentilee, said the party ordinarily suspends members pending the outcome of legal proceed- ings. He said: “I haven’t discussed the situ- ation with Michael Coleman. “He has carried on with things like leafleting, but to be honest there has been a lot of demoralisation in the local party ever since the council group leader Alby Walker left.” The BNP had nine seats in 2008/09 and was briefly the second biggest group on the council, earning Stoke-on- CHARGES: The BNP’s Michael Coleman. TICKETS TO SEE STOKE v ARSENAL 2-4-1 INDOOR SURFING WIN SAVE 50p OFF MAIL ON SUNDAY SEE PAGE 14 SEE PAGE 13 Terms and conditions apply Trent the dubious title as the far right party’s ‘jewel in the crown’ from national party chairman Nick Griffin MEP. Its prominence in the city sparked national attention and the party twice used the city as a base for launching nationwide manifestos. But numbers in the council chamber dwindled to five before last year’s all- out elections, where it fielded just 10 candidates and won no seats. Coleman picked up just 299 votes last May as he lost out to Labour’s Ruth Rosenau. Coleman’s case will be committed to Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on May 24. He was unavailable for comment yes- terday.
Transcript
Page 1: bnp_leader_race

Reporting local life since 1854 Saturday, April 14, 2012

SEN

-eO1

-S2

[S

F]

[SF]

60p

CA PTA I NSMITH’S

DATE WITHD E ST I N Y

APRIL 14, 1912

16-PAGE TITANICSPECIAL INSIDE

BNP LEADER ONRACE CHARGE

Former city councillor asks to stand trial at crown court

Way We WereThe

INSIDETO DAY

SEN-eO1-S4 [SF] THE SENTINEL Saturday April 14, 2012 1

Way We WereThe Saturday, April 14, 2012

ISSUE 31

Family of shipengineer willnever forget

PAGE 3

Harry survivedTitanic andworld war

PAGE 6

INSIDE

Share yourmemories...email

[email protected]

Titanic story’s sombreimpact defies the years

Introducing a special edition of Way We Were,marking the centenary of the Titanic tragedy, theorigins of the disaster are recalled by Alan CookmanO N May 31, 1911, the largest

movable man-made objectin the world slid into theRiver Lagan in Belfast.

The textbook launch of RMS Titanictook barely a minute, her journey downthe slipway lubricated by 20 tonnes ofsoap and tallow.

A crowd of more than 100,000watched the launch of the supposedlyunsinkable liner.

The biggest ship afloat had beentaking shape in Harland and Wolff’sshipyard since 1909.

She had cost £1.5m and it had taken2,000 men and three million rivets tobuild her.

During the construction and fittingout, 246 injuries were recorded, 28 ofthem serious, including severed limbs,and eight men were killed.

After the launch, she was towed to agiant fitting-out dock where thousandsof workers were waiting to prepareTitanic for her maiden voyage.

It would take a full year to transformthe empty hull into the White StarLine’s most luxurious vessel.

Workers installed her engines, funnelsand superstucture, as well as the interior

features that were designed to bringthe last word in comfort and luxury tothe new ship.

Titanic was 882ft long and, as well as

opulent cabins and the finestrestaurants, she had a swimming pool,gymnasium and libraries, whilepassengers also had access to powerfulwireless telegraphy.

But although she boasted modernsafety features such as watertightcompartments, Titanic’s lifeboatcapacity was sufficient for only a thirdof her passengers and crew.

Sea trials began on Monday, April 2,1912, eight days before she was due toleave Southampton on her maidenvoyage.

After leaving Southampton on April10, Titanic visited Cherbourg, in France,and Queenstown, in Ireland, beforesetting sail for New York under thecommand of Hanley-born CaptainEdward Smith.

Although Titanic was designed toaccommodate a total of 2,566passengers, only 1,317 boarded theship for her maiden voyage to the US.

Of these, 324 were first class, 284second class and 709 third class.

At 869, male passengers significantlyoutnumbered female, of whom therewere 447.

There were 107 children on board,mostly third class and the crewnumbered 865.

It was on April 14, only four days intothe crossing, when she was 375 milessouth of Newfoundland, that Titanicstruck an iceberg with a glancing blowthat buckled her hull plates and toreopen five of her 16 watertightcompartments.

The Titanic remained afloat for two-and-a-half hours before finallydisappearing into the icy North Atlantic.

The disaster cost 1,514 lives,including that of Captain Smith, whowent down with his ship.� Do you have a personal connectionwith The Titanic? Did a relativesurvive or perish in the tragedy?Write to Colette Warbrook atFeatures Desk, The Sentinel, ForgeLane, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, ST15SS, including your address and adaytime telephone number, or [email protected].

How Sentinelbroke the

news in 1912PAGES 8&9

The Titanic, minus its four giant trademark funnels, slips into the River Lagan, in Belfast, in 1911.

CaptainSmith,right,andLordPirrie onboardTi t a n i cin 1912.

WHITE STAR LINE WHITE STAR LINE WHITE STAR LINE WHITE STAR LINE WHITE STAR LINE WHITE STAR LINE WHITE STAR LINE WHITE STAR LINE

Titanic Centenary Special Edition

BY ALEX [email protected]

BNP leader Michael Coleman hasappeared in court on racism charges.

The former councillor will go on trialaccused of causing racial har-assment over a seven-monthperiod.

It is understood the alleg-ations relate to commentsmade on the defendant’s web-s i t e.

The 45-year-old lost his MeirNorth seat on Stoke-on-TrentCity Council in last May’s elec-t i o n s.

But Coleman remainsthe controversialpar ty’s chief organiser

in the city and presented an award toStoke-on-T rent’s BNP activist of theyear during a Christmas party lastD e c e m b e r.

The BNP today refused to confirmwhether Coleman’s party membershiphad been suspended.

Asked about Coleman’s courtappearance, BNP national spokes-man Simon Darby said: “I’m noti n t e re s t e d . ”

Coleman, of Caverswall Road,Weston Coyney, denied two charges

of racially or religiously aggrav-ated harassment,

alarm or distress

caused by words or writing betweenAugust 2011 and March when heappeared at North Staffordshire Magis-t r at e s ’ Court. He requested a crowncourt trial.

BNP activist and former city coun-cillor Steve Batkin, of Bentilee, said theparty ordinarily suspends memberspending the outcome of legal proceed-i n g s.

He said: “I haven’t discussed the situ-ation with Michael Coleman.

“He has carried on with things likeleafleting, but to be honest there hasbeen a lot of demoralisation in the localparty ever since the council groupleader Alby Walker left.”

The BNP had nine seats in 2008/09and was briefly the second biggestgroup on the council, earning Stoke-on-

CHARGES: TheBNP’s MichaelColeman.

TICKETS TOSEE STOKEv ARSENAL

2 - 4 -1INDOORSURFING

WIN

SAV E50p OFF

MAIL ONS U N DAY

SEE PAGE 14

SEE PAGE 13Terms and conditions apply

Trent the dubious title as the far rightpar ty’s ‘jewel in the crown’ f ro mnational party chairman Nick GriffinM E P.

Its prominence in the city sparkednational attention and the party twiceused the city as a base for launchingnationwide manifestos.

But numbers in the council chamberdwindled to five before last year’s all-out elections, where it fielded just 10candidates and won no seats.

Coleman picked up just 299 votes lastMay as he lost out to Labour’s RuthRo s e n a u .

C o l e m a n’s case will be committed toStoke-on-Trent Crown Court on May24.

He was unavailable for comment yes-t e rd ay.