Leader of east Belfast ‘vigilante’ group who harassed migrants on streets walked free from court over horrific animal cruelty pics
Nine years ago, fox-hunter Neil Pinkerton, of Clandeboye Street in the Templemore Avenue area of east Belfast, walked from court a free man when charges of animal cruelty against him were withdrawn.
And today he is better known as the main man in the recently formed East Belfast Division One group which operates as a quazi-police force which challenges migrant men walking the streets.
The horrific pictures obtained by the Sunday World show Pinkerton holding a dead fox and an injured terrier which had just ripped the fox apart were deemed by Belfast Crown Court to be completely within the law.
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The Beast from the East Neil Pinkerton having watched his dog butcher a fox
Pinkerton had been charged with causing unnecessary suffering to a dog and a fox on December 28, 2016. He faced a third charge of causing the terrier unnecessary suffering by failing to treat or get it “adequate’’ veterinary treatment on January 25, 2017, the date it was seized by police at his home.
The result shocked and angered animal rights campaigners.
Campaigner Danny Barclay said: “Recent polls show 84 per cent of people here want to see hunting live deer with dogs banned and 76pc want hunting foxes banned, with 54pc under the misapprehension it is already illegal here,” Danny said.
“Hunting is not pest control, it isn’t man versus beast, and it isn’t providing a service to the countryside. It is an abhorrent ‘hobby’ for those with a concerning bloodlust looking to revel in watching as an innocent animal is ripped to shreds.”
Neil Pinkerton seen confronting a migrant man
The Sunday World can today reveal that Pinkerton has pulled the plug on cooperation with another anti-immigrant group run by fellow east Belfast man Steven Baker.
Baker had called for a mass rally on Saturday afternoon outside the Chimney Corner Hotel on the outskirts of Glengormley.
Baker accused the hotel of providing accommodation for dozens of migrants, who Baker claimed were soldiers.
But Pinkerton (37) slammed some of those involved in organising the protest. He accused them of being publicity-mad and ego-driven.
And late on Friday evening he posted the following notice on social media to publicly announce his group wouldn’t be supporting the Chimney Corner demonstration: ‘EBFT will not be attending the Chimney Corner Protest tomorrow, as it seems some egos are bigger than the movement. The movement is what we support NOT individuals.’
Pinkerton’s Division One group meet every night at Lewis Square off the Newtownards Road at around 10.30pm before heading out on a pedestrian patrol of the streets in the east of the city.
Neil Pinkerton was charged with animal cruelty for this shocking image but managed to walk free from court
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – 18th August
Pinkerton was filmed challenging a black man sitting on a bench near the River Lagan. He aggressively ordered the individual – who was clearly in a state of fear – to leave the area immediately and not return.
“Hey boy, I don’t want to catch you around our parks any more,” he told the man.
“Look at all the places there are in Belfast and yet you come over to our parks in east Belfast,” he said.
And when the man asked Pinkerton for an explanation, he told him: “Because you’re not allowed to be hanging around our parks with our kids, do you understand?”
Clearly in shock, the man explained that he wasn’t working and had a lot of time on his hands.
“I don’t do anything.” the man told Pinkerton
But dismissing his explanation, Pinkerton told him: “No more hanging about east Belfast okay?”
In other footage members of Pinkerton’s group can be heard demanding to see migrants’ identity papers before ordering them off the streets.
Pinkerton is well known in east Belfast where he purports to be a dog breeder specialising in XL Bullies and terriers.
He allied with another east Belfast far-right anti-immigration activist, Steven Baker.
Baker first came to public notice during the Covid crisis and he was convicted in court of contravening lockdown rules.
Together Pinkerton and Baker established The Great Province-wide Protest NI, which they planned to turn into a mass anti-immigration movement.
And they received support from loyalist Mark Sinclair, who also operates under the name of Freedom Dad.
Loyalist Mark Sinclair
However, six weeks ago the Sunday World revealed that Sinclair, from the Village area of south Belfast and a relative of Shankill Butchers killer Billy Moore, had been jailed for 17 years in Scotland for a string of bank robberies.
On Thursday evening, Mark Sinclair accompanied members of the East Belfast Division One group as they paraded the streets of east Belfast after dark. He called on members of the public to join them.
But after hearing a split had taken place between the two east Belfast anti-migrant factions, Sinclair was quick to distance himself.
He said: “I’ll be going to the Chimney Corner demo, but I won’t be reporting on it. I like loyalist groups to stay together.”
It was reported that yesterday afternoon’s Chimney Corner protest was poorly attended.
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Vigilantes prowling the streets of east Belfast
The PSNI has condemned the vigilante patrols in east Belfast in the strongest possible terms. A senior officer called it “racism, pure and simple”.
Superintendent Gavin Kirkpatrick said: “We are aware of a number of videos circulating on social media of men ‘patrolling’ east Belfast streets and confronting members of the public.
“I am very concerned about the actions of these groups. Their own videos show them stopping, searching and intimidating wholly innocent members of the public, apparently based on nothing more than the colour of their skin. It is racism, pure and simple.
“Such activity is not protecting this community. It is attempting to control it.
“I want to encourage anyone who has been confronted by these groups to come forward and report it to police. We will robustly deal with any offences reported to us.
“We will not tolerate any kind of vigilante activity and I caution anyone involved in any such ‘patrolling’ to stop. It is the responsibility of the Police Service to enforce the law in Northern Ireland,” he said.
Supt Kirkpatrick added: “In the coming days we will be deploying additional officers to east Belfast to provide reassurance to the public and monitor the activities of these groups.”
Yesterday, we made attempts to speak with Neil Pinkerton and Steven Baker, but at the time of going to print neither of them had returned our calls.
A loyalist source we spoke to said none of the paramilitary groups based in east Belfast were involved in the vigilante patrols. But a police source said he believed loyalists had given the groups ‘tacit’ support at the very least.