Man pushed industrial-sized wheelie bin towards police during Hull riot

James Swann was seen on CCTV during the scenes of disorder which took place in Hull city centre

An ex-doorman joined in with violent scenes of mass disorder in Hull city centre after going there for a shopping trip and later seeing that serious disturbances had broken out.

James Swann was later seen on CCTV footage pushing a large wheelie bin towards police outside a hotel where asylum seekers were being housed at the time, Hull Crown Court heard.

Swann, 33, of Arthur Street, off Anlaby Road, west Hull, admitted violent disorder on August 3.

Amber Hobson, prosecuting, said that a large-scale demonstration took place in Hull city centre, similar to protests that had been organised nationally after the deaths of three girls in Southport.

Police went to fights in King Edward Street and they were called to disorder outside the Royal Hotel in Ferensway, where asylum seekers were living at the time. The disorder spilled out to the cenotaph area opposite the hotel.

There was also disorder at a tyre business in the Milky Way area and fires were set as well as cars being damaged. Swann was seen at various places during the trouble.

“At the onset of aggression towards police on Ferensway, Swann was part of a large group in the road who were squaring up to and attacking the police officers,” said Miss Hobson.

“When the group pushed towards officers, Swann rushed over to join in and was at the front of the group. He pushed a large industrial-sized wheelie bin towards a line of police officers on Jameson Street.

He suffered problems before lockdown and turned to drink. Swann had originally gone into the city centre to go shopping but he saw that disturbances had broken out. He went to a pub but later got involved in the trouble.

Since then, he had tackled his drinking and he claimed that he had not drunk alcohol since October.

Swann, who was on bail, was given a two-year suspended prison sentence, 200 hours’ unpaid work and 10 days’ rehabilitation.

Hull Daily Mail