Two men jailed for “acts of violence” at Dover protest

Two Sunderland men have been jailed for acts of violence at the brutal protests in Dover in January.

John Boyes, 54, and Thomas Allen, 30, pled guilty to violent disorder at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday June 24.

The two men had travelled to Dover to take part in the demonstrations which quickly devolved into chaos when anti-fascists and members of the far-right clashed.

Allen, who was also in breach of a suspended prison sentence and jailed for a total of 22 months, was recorded being aggressive towards police officers and throwing punches at a number of people.

He was also filmed throwing objects and attempting to steal police equipment.

Boyes, who was jailed for 20 months, was recorded attempting to break through the police cordon and throwing sticks and other objects towards opposition protestors.

Detective Sergeant Matthew Smith of Kent Police said: “The violence committed in Dover on 30 January was totally unacceptable and I hope our actions to date show that we take a very dim view of those who visit the county with the intention of causing trouble.

“We continue to review all available footage captured on the day to identify those responsible, and are hopeful of making further arrests in the weeks and months to come.

“Those convicted so far have been jailed for a total of more than 13 years and I am pleased the courts have seen fit to impose custodial sentences for those whose behaviour during the demonstrations fell way short of what should be reasonably expected in a civilised society.”

The two men are among more than 60 people arrested so far in connection with offences committed on the day.

Dover Express