Jail for man who torched car during riot

A man who attacked police and set fire to a car during the Hull riots has been jailed for 45 months.

Tony Mulchinock, 35, had pleaded guilty to violent disorder and arson at a previous hearing.

Prosecutor Jennifer Gatland played CCTV footage to Hull Crown Court showing Mulchinock outside the Royal Hotel in Ferensway on 3 August kicking a police car and “aggressively challenging officers”.

Later footage showed him smashing the window of a car on a garage forecourt and leaning in and setting fire to it, completely destroying the vehicle.

Ms Gatland told the court that the defendant “carried out a leading role” in the disorder, which followed an anti-immigration demonstration in Hull city centre, and was “present throughout the entirety of the events of that day”.

In mitigation, his defence barrister Billy Torbett said his client had a troubled upbringing and mental health issues and was “remorseful and deeply regrets his actions”.

Passing sentence, Judge John Thackray KC said Mulchinock, of Stroud Crescent West in Hull, played a “very prominent role” in the violence.

“It formed part of 12 hours of racist, hate-fuelled mob violence which led to police officers being injured,” the judge said.

He said that Mulchinock had set fire to a car while a family including children sheltered in a nearby garage “terrified as they heard threats to kill directed at them”.

Judge Thackray imposed an increase to the sentence to reflect that both offences were racially aggravated.

BBC News