Scaffolder took knuckle-duster to protest ‘on a whim’, court hears

A scaffolder who took a knuckle-duster to an anti-immigration protest in Southampton has been handed a 12-month prison sentence.

Southampton Crown Court heard that 42-year-old Lee James had been out for dinner with his two teenage sons on 7 August when he decided to go to the protest to “see what it was like”.

The court heard he had read online about “gangs and violence” at protests and had visions of people with machetes and zombie knives at the demonstration.

But Judge Christopher Parker KC said when he sentenced James that the knuckle-duster’s “only purpose can be to cause injury to other human beings”, adding: “You said you wore it to protect yourself but you wore it openly, you were not under any threat.”

James will serve half of the 12-month sentence before being released on licence, and a further 12 months post-sentence supervision.

BBC News