Aamer Anwar - Not having a good day.

First off he was termed "not credible" according to Glasgow Sheriff Court: link

A SHERIFF yesterday branded a controversial lawyer "not credible" as she cleared a woman of racially abusing him and his wife.

Aamer Anwar, a human rights champion, and his wife Ifet, a commercial property solicitor, claimed they had been assaulted following a car accident.

But Sheriff Charlotte Coutts acquitted the woman, saying she preferred her evidence to that given by the Anwars...

I like that term "not credible" not calling him a liar as such but making it damn clear that the opposing argument is a lot more believable.

He and his wife had accused Lorraine Ferrie, an office manager, of taunting them following a crash in 2006.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that Mrs Anwar bumped into Miss Ferrie's Vauxhall Corsa in Wallace Street in the Gorbals area of the city on 9 August.

The couple told the trial they were shocked when Miss Ferrie said: "What is it with all you Pakistanis sticking together?" as the pair chatted after the collision.

But the 36-year-old – who admitted making the comment – denied being racist and claimed Mr Anwar had said to her: "Just like you white people."

Mrs Anwar, 29, claimed she saw Miss Ferrie giving her the V-sign and locked her door as she was "scared", before calling her husband to come and meet her.

When he arrived, the couple began chatting with an Asian woman who was in a car near to the scene. Mrs Anwar said: "Miss Ferrie came up behind us and she was muttering things. She then raised her voice, leaned forward and said: 'What is it with all you Pakistanis sticking together?'" Mr Anwar called the police and Miss Ferrie, of Cambuslang, was later arrested.

Mrs Anwar told the court: "I was insulted with the comment – it was abusive. I was upset and frightened by her behaviour. I felt that she was treating us in the way she did because we were Pakistani."

But Miss Ferrie said: "When I saw them talking I believed (Mr Anwar] was telling the ladies what to say – he was preparing them what to say when the police arrive.

"I started to get closer to them and Mr Anwar nodded his head towards me and they all fell silent. I said: 'What is this? All Pakistanis sticking together?' He replied: 'Yes, just like all you white people'."

Miss Ferrie denied the comment was racist and said if it had been a group of men chatting, she would have said: "'Is this all the boys sticking together?"

She also claimed that the accident was Mrs Anwar's fault and that she had threatened her. "She said to me: 'I am a lawyer, I am a lawyer, I will f***ing sort you'," she told the court.

The court heard that Miss Ferrie had never been in trouble before and had spent seven hours in a police cell after being arrested.

Mark Moir, the defence advocate, said: "This wasn't a racist comment, it is nothing more than a factual observation, which allowed Mr Anwar to – to coin a phrase – play the race card."

**An Mr Anwars woes are not over yet, fresh from being termed "not credible" by a Sheriff he has a hearing over a possible contempt of court.

A JUDGE has ruled that a solicitor who represented Scotland's first convicted Islamic terrorist should face a hearing over possible contempt of court.

Lord Carloway decided that Glasgow-based lawyer Aamer Anwar should go to the High Court in Edinburgh, where proceedings against the solicitor may be held in front of three judges.

Mr Anwar, 39, acted for Mohammed Siddique, who was jailed for eight years last month after being convicted of terrorist offences.

After Siddique was found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow, but before he was sentenced, the solicitor made a statement on the steps of the courthouse about the case.

Mr Anwar read from a press statement that began: "Today Mohammed Atif Siddique was found guilty of doing what millions of young people do every day, looking for answers on the internet.

But Lord Carloway said that the opening sentence of the statement was not true.

Lord Carloway said remarks contained in the statement were at least in part untrue and misleading.

"The remarks appeared to be an unjustified attack on almost every area of the trial process, other than the defence," said the judge today. "It appeared to amount to an attack on the integrity of the jury."

The judge said that he had alerted the law agent to his concerns before sentencing Siddique at the High Court in Edinburgh.

A finding of contempt against the solicitor would put his legal career at risk. He could face a jail sentence or heavy fine and possible disciplinary proceedings through his profession.

Mr Anwar, who is expected to contest the action, was at the High Court in Edinburgh representing another client today. He said: "It is not appropriate to comment at this stage."

**Maybe Mr Anwar could bring his good lady wife along and she could tell the court 'I am a lawyer, I am a lawyer, I will f***ing sort you'," - maybe that will help matters?

On the other hand he could always claim that he won't get a fair hearing if the judges are all white and - to coin a phrase – play the race card.
Tags: Race card, aamer anwar, Cool Britannia

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