A racist who was caught releasing rats into a mosque has avoided jail – despite doing it four times.
The CCTV footage showed Edmund Fowler, 66, letting a rat out of a cage onto the ground of the Grand Mosque in Sheffield on June 2.
A court heard Fowler, from the South Yorkshire city, drove to the place of worship in his Audi four times between May and June and filmed himself doing it.
During these visits, he was also seen shouting racist insults at worshippers going into the mosque.
After he was arrested, he was subsequently charged with four counts of racially aggravated harassment, which he pleaded guilty to at an earlier hearing at the same court on June 27.
The CCTV footage shows Edmund Fowler letting a rat out of a cage onto the ground of the Grand Mosque in Sheffield at 9:32am on June 2
The 66-year-old is caught taking the cage with the rodent inside out of the boot of his black Audi before releasing it
A court heard Fowler, from the South Yorkshire city, drove to the place of worship four times between May and June and filmed himself doing it
Police were notified of his offences after they were called to the mosque following reports of a man stopping at the side of the road and releasing three rats from the boot of a vehicle.
Yesterday, at Sheffield Magistrates Court, he was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, and banned from going near a mosque for 18 months.
He must also undertake 15 rehabilitation activity days and is banned from going to certain areas of the city.
Fowler was also ordered to pay £239 in costs.
Both South Yorkshire Police and the Grand Mosque have been approached for a comment.
