Pensioner ‘front and centre of Hanley riot mob’ before catching bus home

A pensioner has been jailed after he was ‘at the front and centre of the mob’ during the Hanley riot. Arthur Walker was involved in the mass disorder for more than an hour before he made his way home.

During that time the The 68-year-old:

was part of the mob which chanted anti-immigration and anti-Muslim slogans;

encouraged others to break through the police cordon;

filmed the protest on his phone and uploaded the footage to Facebook;

shouted abuse at officers;

encouraged protesters to sit down to block police vehicles;

made violent gestures to police.

Now Walker has been jailed for 13 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. Prosecutor Sherrie Henry said the violent disorder happened in Hanley on August 3 last year, just days after three girls were murdered at a Southport dance studio on July 29.

Miss Henry said: “The disorder lasted for many hours. Both groups threw missiles at each other and shouted at police. There was damage to property and injuries to officers. The defendant was present at the disorder between 11.45am and 12.50pm.

“At 1.16pm, after leaving the protest, the defendant sent a Facebook message which read, ‘Had my final warning so I came away. Did you see my videos’? He was identified by police body-worn footage.”

The defendant told police he was penned in and if they had let him go he would have been home. Walker, of Marldon Place, Sandyford, pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

Matthew Ness, mitigating, said Walker was sentenced to a community order in February for supplying cannabis. He had engaged well with the order and made positive progress. Mr Ness said: “There is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. He is not assessed as posing an imminent risk. There is some passage of time since the offence. There is a strong prospect of rehabilitation. He continues to benefit from the order he is currently serving. He is genuinely sorry for his involvement in this incident.”

Recorder Robert Smith said: “No doubt many who did attend the protest conducted themselves properly. Regrettably many did not. Weapons were brandished, missiles thrown, people and police were injured, verbal abuse was exchanged at police simply performing their public duty of keeping the King’s peace.

“Your part in the violent disorder was to be part of a mob of people chanting anti-immigration and anti-Muslim slogans. That mob tried to break through the police cordon that was there to prevent serious public disorder, injuries to people and damage to property. You participated between 11.45am and 1pm. You disengaged and left before the more serious violence occurred in the area of the mosque.

“You willingly involved yourself in unlawful activity rather than a peaceful protest. On the video footage you can be seen shouting to the crowd, at the front, ‘There is not enough of them, go through them’. You were gesturing to the crowd to go through the police cordon. You were at the front and centre of the protest filming the police on your mobile. The footage was uploaded to Facebook.

“You told the police to, ‘Get f*****’, and repeatedly encouraged the mob to rush the police cordon. Some broke the cordon but were pushed back by the police. Pushing police is a criminal offence. You encouraged that. You were shouting at the police line, making elbow jabbing gestures and other gestures of violence towards police.

“Eventually the crowd began to move towards Potteries Way. You walked in the area of Broad Street. You were encouraging people to sit down, blocking the way of the police cars as the march continued. When the mob attempted to gather outside the Quality Hotel, known to house refugees, you were again front and centre.

“You came away from the protest and took a bus home, something that had been open to you for the previous hour. What you did was not a peaceful protest, you crossed the line by a significant margin. You were for an hour front and centre, trying to push through a cordon.

“Your behaviour influenced the developing situation. You were not penned in, far from it. You could have, and should have, turned around and walked in the opposite direction out of the city centre. You chose not to. You chose to very actively participate in a large-scale public disorder. The 14-month sentence cannot and will not be suspended. Your offending is so serious.”

Yahoo News