Hornsey man sentenced for making threatening calls to Finsbury Park Mosque
A man from Hornsey who made a number of threatening, racist and religiously abusive telephone calls to Finsbury Park Mosque has been sentenced.
Lee Harper, 47, pleaded guilty to sending a message threatening serious harm, and guilty to two offences of sending menacing messages.
He was sentenced earlier this week at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court to 10 weeks’ imprisonment (including a sentence uplift of two weeks), suspended for 18 months, and given a five-year restraining order not to visit or contact Finsbury Park Mosque.
During sentencing, prosecutors read out a statement from Tell MAMA – which highlights incidences of Islamophobic abuse – to explain the profound impact Harper’s actions had not only on the individual he aimed his vitriol at, but also the wider community.
Varinder Hayre, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “The calls Lee Harper made left a member of the Mosque feeling frightened and fearful that there could be an attack on the building with women and children present.
“Harper tried to make excuses for his appalling behaviour, but no matter the excuse, his actions were completely unacceptable.
“The CPS continues to work closely with the police to identify and prosecute perpetrators of all hate crimes, making sure that justice is delivered for victims and our communities.”
Notes to editors
- Lee Harper (DOB 20/05/1977) pleaded guilty to sending a communication threatening serious harm, and guilty to two counts of sending by a public communication network menacing messages
- In addition to his suspended sentence and restraining order, Harper was also sentenced to five days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, an Alcohol Treatment Order for three Months and 200 Hours unpaid work.
- He was sentenced on 10 March 2025 at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court
- The offences took place on 21 January 2025
- Under hate crime legislation, courts must pass an increased sentence where the prosecutor has shown evidence that criminal offences either demonstrate or have been motivated by hostility towards a person’s race, religion, disability, transgender identity or sexuality. This is known as a “sentence uplift”.