Man who chanted racist slogan at police jailed

A man who chanted a racially offensive phrase at a line of police officers during disorder in Whitehall has been jailed for 24 weeks for racially aggravated harassment.

Jordan Rawlings, 25, from Ritson Avenue, Bearpark, Durham, was among more than 700 people who gathered for a protest opposite Downing Street at around 18:30 on 31 July, following a similar demonstration in Southport, a court heard.

Video played in court showed a group of men also shouting “You’re not English any more” and calling the officers “scum”.

Rawlings was initially arrested at the scene, de-arrested when the situation was under control, then re-arrested at Darlington railway station when he was trying to travel to London on 8 August, following further analysis of CCTV by police.

At his first appearance before magistrates, Rawlings, who has no previous convictions, admitted causing harassment, alarm or distress that was racially aggravated.

Gary Wood, defending, said: “He has clearly been swept away with the behaviour that was going on and it is behaviour he very much regrets.”

The judge said: “You chose to be part of an organised and largescale act of civil unrest.

“In the course of that you were part of a group that was aggressive towards police officers and chanting racist insults.”

The judge said a suspended sentence was inappropriate and jailed him for 24 weeks.

BBC News