TWO racists were imprisoned for a total of 11 years last week for a firebomb attack on Tilford's Islamabad Centre last July. Unemployed Raymond Ewington, of Green Lane, Farnham, and plasterer Stephen Middleton, of Perowne Street, Aldershot, pleaded guilty to causing an explosion likely to endanger life. Ewington, 23 was sentenced to six years, while accomplice Middleton, 22, received five years at Guildford Crown Court last Thursday. Judge John Crocker grimly passed the sentences as a "deterrent" to similar crimes. "I'm quite satisfied it was planned. You weren't at the Islamabad Centre by chance - you knew exactly what you were going to do. I'm quite satisfied it was racially motivated under the 2003 [Race Regulations] Act. "You, Ewington, certainly threw the petrol bomb, made it would appear with petrol supplied by you, Middleton, and you provided transport." "I do differentiate between the two of you. You, Middleton played a lesser part - but not much. In the present climate, both then and now, this offence must attract a deterrent sentence in my view." Prosecuting for the Crown, Barry Kogan outlined the particulars of the crime, which took place outside the Sheephatch Lane centre 3 am on July 26, 2005, a little under three weeks after the London bombings. Middleton drove his car with girlfriend Kelly Devanney and a then 16 year old - who cannot be named for legal reasons - to Ewington's house, before driving to Tilford. Speaking of a time of "public nervousness and apprehension," Mr Kogan explained how the Ahmaddiyya Muslims were preparing for their annual Jalsa Salana convention. In 2005, the event was held at Rushmoor Arena, with the peaceful Muslims "awaiting the arrival of sect members from around the world," according to Mr Kogan. Consequently, due to increased fears, five security guards were situated within two cars inside the wrought-iron gates to the entrance of the centre. Just before 3 am, a security guard heard a car engine, but no car lights were visible. "The next thing he was aware of was a ball of flame coming towards the gates from the road as they looked out, followed by the sound of broken glass and a flash of flame at a distance of 10-12 metres from one of the vehicles," said Mr Kogan. Within a minute of the explosion, the flames had died down. Hearing a car drive away towards Farnham, the guards called the police before Pc Parsons attended the scene and discovered broken glass, the remnants of a charred sock - which he correctly assumed was a wick - and a patch of petrol on the driveway. "It may have been that the perpetrators would have got away with the crime, were it not for an anonymous phone call received at Farnham Police Station," continued Mr Kogan. The caller gave details of an M-registration Rover and provided a list of names, and the following day, Pc Ames was on foot patrol outside Rushmoor Arena. By coincidence, a car matching the description slowed down in front of the officer before speeding off towards Aldershot. The officer reported the car to another officer, positioned further along the road, who duly noted the registration number. Three hours later, the car was stopped in Farnham's West Street with four occupants: Middleton, Devanney and a further couple in the rear. Both Middleton and Devanney were arrested on suspicion of having caused an explosion. After interviewing both at length, they named Ewington as the perpetrator, and he was arrested the following day. According to Mr Kogan, much of the evidence rested on Miss Devanney's statements - who had "gone along as she had not wanted to be left alone". She said she received a phone call from Ewington, whom she knew through a mutual friend, asking if she would pick him up and take him to an unspecified location. Middleton agreed, and picked Ewington up, before being asked to drive to the Islamabad Centre, a place familiar to him thanks to driving to work in the area. Ewington told them during the journey that he needed to get some petrol. Middleton replied that there was no need, as he carried some in his car in a jerrycan. Miss Devanney then explained how Ewington planned to hurl a petrol bomb at the Islamabad centre. Arriving at Sheephatch Lane at just before 3 am, Middleton turned the car around in the drive. Ewington got out of the car, poured petrol from the can into a green wine bottle, took a sock out of his pocket, and rammed it into the bottle with a screwdriver. He walked down the lane, took a lighter from his pocket and lit the sock before throwing the Molotov cocktail. Middleton saw a flash, before Ewington ran back to the car, jumped in and told Middleton to drive, before dropping him off at his home. Some days later, Miss Devanney received a text from Ewington, saying "I'm in the paper" and told her to buy a copy of the local paper. When asked why he drove to the centre, Middleton replied that he was not scared of Ewington, stating that he didn't think he would do it until he got out of the car. Middleton has previous convictions for racially aggravated harassment, violent disorder and possession of cannabis, while Ewington has convictions for assault, criminal damage and possession of weapons. Keith Hadrell, defending Ewington said: "It was not a long-term planned crime. It was concocted when a group of youths got together that evening and foolishly decided upon an act of violence in throwing this petrol bomb outside the Islamabad centre. "He threw it not at a person, not at a vulnerable property, not at anything of value where anybody was put at risk. "The crime itself would not have been noted unless five witnesses had been there. It is very much at the lower level of offending at this matter of explosive substances and racially motivated crimes." "He has matured greatly since the day - his mind is now open and frank and remorseful as to the incident." Paul Moulder, defending Middleton, said: "There is no suggestion that this act was Middleton's idea, although he was aware that the act was going to be carried out. To his credit, he said he was surprised that the act was carried out and he didn't participate in the act itself." Ewington, wearing jeans and a short-sleeved shirt, with tattoos on both forearms, said: "I'm really sorry for what happened." Middleton, dressed in jeans and a polo shirt, added: "Sorry as well. It was a silly thing to do."