1. Jalal Ahmed, 21, 2. Ziaur Rahman, 32, 3. Yousaf Bashir, 29, 4. Shajjadar Choudhury, 31, and 5. Munim Abdul, 28,  all from Luton, were convicted at Luton Magistrates' Court, UK. They were given two year conditional discharges and order to pay contributions towards costs of £500 each for using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. Jubair Ahmed, 19, and Ibrahim Anderson, 32, also from Luton, were acquitted of the same charge.

Angry scenes broke out during the parade in Luton for the 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, known as The Poachers, on 03/10/2009. A large crowd lined the streets of the Bedfordshire town to celebrate the return of the local regiment, who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan (see also - Wootton March).

But a group of protesters also attended carrying placards and shouting slogans about the soldiers, prosecutor Avirup Chaudhuri said. Among these were the jeers: "British Army: murderers"; "British soldiers burn in hell"; "Baby killers"; and "British soldiers you will pay".

Lawyers for the men said their clients discussed plans to protest with police beforehand, had agreed to a time and a place to do so with them, had complied with police throughout and officers had not objected at the time to their slogans.

District Judge Carolyn Mellanby said the trial was a test case and described it as "very unusual". She rejected the lawyers' argument that their clients were merely exercising their right to freedom of speech as enshrined in the Human Rights Act. She said: "The defendants' conduct went beyond reasonable legitimate protest”.

"Their behaviour was an open expression of opinion on a matter of public interest which was advanced in words that amounted to being disproportionate and unreasonable." The defendants responded defiantly to the verdict outside court.