Posted Sunday, December 6, 1998

	FOR THIRTY-FIVE years author David Irving has kept a private diary. It has proven useful in countless actions. For the information of his many supporters he currently publishes an edited text in his irregular newsletter ACTION REPORT. THE SKETCH, left, is a detail from an unflattering cartoon published in The Guardian in 1977 when it reviewed David Irving's book Hitler's War. He purchased the original from artist David Smith, from whom FOCAL POINT commissioned several skilfully executed caricatures. December 4, 1993 was an exciting time: a speech in Brighton, a riot, and the eve of his fifth daughter's arrival.
ecember 4, 1993 (Saturday) London -- Brighton -- London   Rose 10 a.m after a fitful sleep. Picked up rental car at Avis. I have appalling flu now, my throat like gravel, barely a whisper coming out. Drove down to Brighton with Miss S. for the meeting. At H., Corinne mentioned to me that Benté had told her (a) that she now knows the baby's sex, and (b) she's not telling me. Oi! I phoned the hospital around 12:45 p.m.; they told me that Benté has had a good sleep; I said to tell her I'd call round late in the afternoon. To Royal Albion Hotel after 3/4 hour sleep in their guest room. My head is like lead. A good room, and sizeable audience. Joined shortly by (a) outside, scads of riot police, vanloads of bobbies, and the usual scum throwing bricks at them; (b) inside, Mr Landau of CBS television with a camera and sound crew and -- Jana Wendt, lately the most lovely star of all Australian TV, who has now moved up north. A few pleasantries. I told her she looks younger than when I saw her six years ago -- and meant it genuinely. Perhaps it was the pancake TV makeup that aged her in Sydney. She shortly left and wandered around outside with a second camera crew. They got their fill, because the mob turned violent and smashed several windows in the hotel front. I spoke pleasantly for 3/4 hour despite a lowering voice. Since the police were totally feckless about getting us away through the mob, I told Miss S. to bring the car round to the front main entrance, where I would make a dash for it and scoot off. This went well until, alas the car hit a traffic jam 20 yards down the road. I was well and truly recognised, a gang of thirty hooligans caught up and surrounded the car and began beating in the door panels and trying to smash the windows. It took three or four minutes for police to realise what was happened, and to wade in. I checked the damage back at Duke Street: ugly dents on several major panels, I estimate around £1,000 worth of damage, for which I am liable. Phoned Sussex police; they had fortunately arrested one of the men attacking the car, so I'll get criminal damage included on the docket if I can. Sergeant Allen was the arresting officer. S. was left very shaken by it all, but acted very bravely and I could certainly not have done better. The last time I had an ugly scene like this was in the underground car park of the Maritim hotel at Pforzheim. Back at Duke Street 6:45 p.m., drove on to hospital. The doctors are going to induce the child tomorrow at 9 or 10 a.m. Then perhaps I shall find out the secret of its sex myself… [On the following day Mr Irving's fifth daughter Jessica was born; he returned the rental car to the Avis company. ] [Six months later, on June 2, 1994, Paul Haining, the thug who had been arrested, was put on trial in Brighton. Mr Irving was called as a prosecution witness.]   une 2, 1994 (Thursday) Train to Brighton. Arrived 9 a.m., walked to courthouse. Solicitor there said Haining has been denied Legal Aid. I said that did not sound very fair, as he's obviously penniless. Reason is, evidently, that he can't expect a jail sentence so he must defend himself. Magistrate however disagreed, and said he must get legal aid and a lawyer. Thirty strong mob in court, I was told. I didn't see them, nor they me.   Thug Haining [Mr Irving's above request to the court, that Haining be provided with proper defence counsel on Legal Aid, proved a mistake when the trial was resumed three months later on August 25:] ugust 25, 1994 (Thursday) At court at 8:30 A.M. for trial of Paul Haining, the thug who smashed up my rental car on December 4. Police operations to get me in and out of the courthouse. Defence tried to make out I had A. H. and others on the back seat of the car! After a while the Crown stopped this line of argument; defence asked for an adjournment to put it to the magistrate, who at 12:30 P.M. refused, and (I believe) defendant then changed his plea to Guilty. Back in Newhaven at 1 P.M.; when I walk in, Jessica says "Da-da" to me for the first time. She now has four teeth through, just about enough teeth for the purpose. Good: now for "Pa-pa." To Seaford in the evening. Television news reports that Haining was given a conditional discharge!   August 26, 1994 (Friday) The Daily Telegraph has a disgusting report on yesterday's hearing. I now know what was said [in court] in my absence. I write this reader's letter, to fax at once: Sir, -- You report today (page 4) that during yesterday's Brighton trial of one of the thugs who wrecked my car after a Dec. 4 meeting, his lawyer stated that his defence "would have been" that he was trying to prevent a crime, having heard a man get into my car and say: "Let's go and do a Jewish cemetery." Ingenious and, if I may say so, a lie whose ulterior purpose is quite obvious. Your report might, in fairness, have pointed out that this absurd claim was made, not on oath, and in my absence from the courtroom (which the thug's lawyer had requested); I had already testified that there were no others in the car, as my (female) driver and the police who arrested his client can confirm. In to see landlady Marjorie: she shows us the [Brighton] Evening Argus, which has an ugly story about the Haining trial. The Jews pull lying tricks like this -- and then complain about mounting antisemitism in the world.

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