Teen admits shouting religious abuse on top of phone box

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September 13, 2024
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An 18-year-old has pleaded guilty to shouting religious abuse from the top of a phone box during Pride weekend.

Max Ritchings, of Haywards Heath, appeared at Lewes Crown Court charged with causing religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress by shouting words aimed at Muslims.

The offence took place in Madeira Drive, near the Palace Pier, during Brighton Pride weekend on August 4 and amid the civil unrest across the country.

Ritchings also pleaded guilty to inciting violence by making posts on social media that encouraged arson towards Muslim religious buildings.

Nicholas Hamblin, defending, said that the period of custody served by Ritchings ahead of the court hearing had been a “short, sharp shock” for him and he had written a letter to the judge to apologise for his actions.

He said Ritchings had handed himself in to police when he heard they had called at his home looking for him.

Judge Christine Laing KC adjourned the case against the vape shop worker for a pre-sentence report and released him on bail until the sentencing date on October 18.

She told him: “You must understand that even if it is a good report and I am giving you bail, it doesn’t mean you aren’t going back to prison.

“Even you must realise how serious the offences are and how seriously they are being viewed by the courts and custody is the likely result.”

Brighton Argus

Man is first to admit riot charge after disorder

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September 13, 2024
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A man has become the first in the country to admit a charge of riot, after widespread disorder last month.

Kieran Usher, 32, of Sunderland, pleaded guilty to the charge during a short hearing at Newcastle Crown Court.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said he was filmed working with a group of at least 20 people “to rain missiles onto attending police officers”.

Judge Gittens told Usher he had pleaded guilty to “a very serious offence – but would receive a lot of credit for his early guilty plea”.

He was remanded in custody and he is expected to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on 27 September.

‘Shame upon city’

Christopher Atkinson, of the CPS, said the events of that night caused “immeasurable fear” for residents.

He added: “The co-ordinated and unlawful violence carried out by the group in this incident, the severity of which forced police to temporarily retreat from the assault, made a charge of riot wholly appropriate in this case.”

Up to 700 people were involved in a night of violence in Sunderland city centre on 2 August, with police officers being subject to serious and sustained levels of violence.

Politicians and community leaders said the mass disorder – which included a building being burnt out and businesses being looted – had brought “shame” upon the entire city.

BBC News

Serial criminal attacked two police officers on Sunderland v Newcastle derby day

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September 13, 2024
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A serial criminal attacked two police officers who were trying to prevent disorder on a Sunderland v Newcastle derby day.

Thomas Allan verbally abused one victim, calling him a “black ****” and threatened to follow him home before he kicked a female officer three times in the stomach.

Newcastle Crown Court heard police had conducted a safety operation in Sunderland on January 6, when the city’s football team clashed with bitter rivals Newcastle, for the first time in eight years.

The game ended with three-goal defeat for Sunderland and there was a large police presence in the city to stop any potential trouble.

Prosecutor Caroline McGurk said Allan was “in drink” and had shouted at officers who refused him entry to a train station.

Miss McGurk said: “He verbally abused a female officer, calling her an ugly ****. He was arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

“The defendant resisted arrest and was taken to the ground, where he repeatedly referred to the only ethnic minority officer as a black **** and threatened to follow him home.

“A female officer restrained him by holding onto his legs. However, he freed himself from her grasp and kicked her three times in the stomach.”

Allan, 38, of Hendon Valley Road, Sunderland, who has 91 convictions on his record and was out of prison on licence at the time, admitted racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress and assault on an emergency worker.

Judge Tim Gittins said the racial abuse was “abhorrent” and told Allan: “It demonstrated, in your drunken state, hostility towards him simply because he has a different colour of skin to you, which demonstrates an ugly ignorance.”

Judge Gittins said the officer who was kicked was simply trying to do her job and look after people.

Allan was sentence to 18 weeks and ordered to pay £200 compensation to both officers.

Fiona Lamb, defending, said Allan has a good work record and is confident he will be able to return to employment after his release.

Sunderland Echo

Sunderland man first to be convicted of riot after disorder across the UK

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September 13, 2024
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A Sunderland man has become the first person to be convicted of riot after the widespread disorder across UK cities last month.

Kieran Usher, 32, was the first adult in Britain to be charged with the offence, in relation to his activities during the violent protest in Sunderland on August 2.

During a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court today he has now pleaded guilty and is the first in the UK to be convicted of the offence in relation to the summer disorder.

Dozens of offenders have already been jailed for charges including violent disorder, burglary and arson.

Those convicted of the more serious offence of riot face up to ten years behind bars whereas violent disorder carries a maximum of five years.

Usher, of Bramwell Road, Sunderland, will be sentenced at a later date and was remanded in custody in the meantime.

Judge Tim Gittins said there is “an inevitability about the sentence” and told Usher the next hearing will be on September 27.

Judge Gittins told him: “I can promise you will receive substantial credit for entering a guilty plea today.”

Christopher Atkinson, Head of the Complex Casework Unit for CPS North East, said: “It is clear from the evidence in this case that Usher played an active role in the mob violence that unfolded on the streets of Sunderland.

“He was filmed working with a group of at least twenty other people to rain missiles onto attending police officers.

“The co-ordinated and unlawful violence carried out by the group in this incident, the severity of which forced police to temporarily retreat from the assault, made a charge of riot wholly appropriate in this case.

“The events of that evening also created immeasurable fear for Sunderland residents, with significant damage caused to local businesses.

“We would like to praise the response of Northumbria Police, who effectively tackled the immediate situation, while also securing key evidence to help us build robust cases against the perpetrators of this violence.

“The Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work alongside our criminal justice partners to ensure that anyone threatening the communities we serve are swiftly brought to justice for their actions.”

Sophie Allinson-Howells, defending, said Usher has a learning disability and the court will be assisted by reports before the sentence hearing.

During the disorder spread throughout the city that Friday afternoon, police officers, dogs and horses were met with serious violence and pelted with missiles.

Four officers required hospital treatment and some are still not fit to return to frontline duties.

A police hub was trashed, police vehicles were targeted and damaged, business premises were smashed and raided and shops were looted.

Prison sentences have already been handed out to protesters who admitted violent disorder.

Northumbria Police Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine said in a impact statement at previous hearings it remains unclear how much damage was caused by the rioters but the cost of repairs could run to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Ms Jardine said the violence was met with a £1million policing operation and the psychological cost to officers involved is yet to be known.

She added: “The North East is a wonderful, vibrant and safe place to live and work.

“The vast majority of our people are law abiding, proud members of the community.”

Sunderland Echo

More than 250 people sentenced for offences linked to recent disorder

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September 12, 2024
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Some 40% of people sentenced so far are under the age of 30.

More than 250 people have now been sentenced for offences in connection with the disorder that broke out in parts of the country following the knife attack at a Southport dance studio on July 29 that left three girls dead.

Here are some of the key statistics:

– How many people have been sentenced?

The PA news agency has compiled details of 252 people who have been sentenced, as of September 12.

– What is the age range of the people sentenced?

The oldest person to be sentenced is William Morgan, 69, of Walton in Merseyside, who was jailed for two years and eight months for violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon – a cosh – during unrest in Liverpool on August 3, in which police were attacked and a library was set on fire.

The youngest is a 12-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, who received a 12-month youth referral order for two incidents in Manchester, one on July 31 when he joined a mob kicking a bus outside a hotel housing asylum seekers, and one on August 3 when he knocked over shelves in a Sainsbury’s store while it was being looted before kicking the glass door of a vape shop.

Some 33 of the 252 people sentenced are under 21, or 13% of the total. This includes eight under the age of 18.

A further 25 (10%) are aged 21 to 24, while 43 (17%) are aged 25 to 29.

This means more than a third (40%) of people sentenced so far are under the age of 30.

Some 81 people sentenced, or just under a third of the total (32%), are aged 30 to 39, while 42 (17%) are aged 40 to 49, 18 (7%) aged 50 to 59 and 10 (4%) aged 60 and over.

– How many people have been sent to jail?

A total of 235 of the 252 people received immediate custodial sentences.

Of the 17 others, four received suspended jail sentences; six (all aged under 18) received referral orders; two (both under 18) received detention and training orders; two were fined; two received community orders; and one was ordered to do 120 hours unpaid work.

– What is the longest jail sentence so far?

Nine years, which was handed to Thomas Birley, 27, of Swinton in South Yorkshire, who pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life, violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon, for his actions as part of the mob that besieged a Holiday Inn Express, which was housing more than 200 asylum seekers, in Manvers, near Rotherham, on August 4.

The next longest jail term was given to David Wilkinson, 48, of Hull, who pleaded guilty to violent disorder, attempted arson and racially aggravated criminal damage for his role in the disturbances in the city on August 3, for which he received a sentence of six years.

A jail term totalling four years and eight months was handed to John Honey, 25, of Hull, who pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary, racially aggravated criminal damage and violent disorder during the August 3 unrest in the city.

– What is the shortest jail sentence so far?

Seven weeks, given to Jake Grainger-Quinn, 29, who pleaded guilty to a public order offence in Whitehall in central London on July 31, when he was part of a crowd rushing at and pushing against a police cordon.

– What is the average length of jail sentences?

The average is 24 months.

– What is the most common offence for which people have been sentenced?

Violent disorder. Some 200 of the 252 people sentenced so far had been charged with violent disorder, either by itself or in combination with other charges.

Other charges that have led to jail sentences include assaulting emergency workers, possession of a knife or sharp object in a public place, publishing written material to stir up racial hatred, and causing racially aggravated intentional harassment.

– Which police forces account for the most number of people sentenced?

Four police forces together account for just over half of those sentenced: South Yorkshire (17% of the total), Merseyside (14%), Cleveland (10%) and Humberside (10%).

Evening Standard

Man ‘too drunk to remember throwing object at riot police outside hotel’

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September 12, 2024
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A 30-year-old man who claimed he was too drunk to remember throwing an object at riot police outside a hotel housing more than 200 asylum seekers has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Charlie Eames, of High Street, Sheffield, is the latest person to be jailed for being part of the mob which besieged the Holiday Inn Express, in Manvers, Rotherham, on August 4.

Police body-worn camera footage was shown at Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday which showed Eames at the front of the crowd with no shirt, but wearing a padded gillet and with a bottle of alcohol pushed down his waistband.

When prosecutor Neil Coxon suggested this was a bottle of beer, Eames corrected him over the prison videolink, stating it was a bottle of Stones Ginger Wine.

The footage showed Eames throwing an unknown object at the line of riot shields and then encouraging another man in a mask to throw a large piece of wood at officers.

Rebecca Tanner, defending, told the court her client was an alcoholic, had drunk a substantial amount before the incident captured on video, and could not remember throwing the object, which the court heard could have been a branch.

She said Eames, who admitted violent disorder, had seen the protest happening outside the hotel on TikTok before it turned violent and decided go along, believing it to be “peaceful”.

Ms Tanner told the court: “He readily accepts he was highly intoxicated.”

She added: “When the mood shifted, he became a willing participant.”

More than 80 people have now been charged, and more than 30 jailed, following the violence involving around 400 people who targeted the hotel, which was housing 240 asylum seekers.

Some of the mob broke into the building and tried to set it on fire as 64 police officers, three police horses and a police dog were injured.

Judge Sarah Wright also jailed 29-year-old Morgan Hardy for his role in the disorder outside the hotel.

Hardy, of Melton High Street, Rotherham, was sent to prison for three years after the judge heard how he threw fence panels, a fire extinguisher and a chair at the line of officers.

The court heard that he was part of a group shouting “we want our country back” and could be seen on footage at the front of the crowd, taunting officers with his arms outstretched.

The judge was told that, after his arrest, he asked police if the “immigrants” had all gone from the hotel.

When told that they had been moved, he said: “Good. No more women and children will be hurt.”

Ms Tanner, this time defending Hardy, said he was a hard-working family man who only went to the hotel to be nosey but ended up doing something he admitted was “deplorable”.

She said: “He has brought shame on himself and shame on his family.”

Also on Thursday, father-of-five Cameron Callear, 30, of Orchard Way, Thurnscoe, was jailed for two years and 10 months for his part in the Manvers disorder.

Footage shown in court showed Callear kicking out at police riot shields and then breaking the leg off a chair which had been brought out of the hotel.

The defendant was then seen to throw the leg at police lines as another man launched the remains of the chair at officers.

All three men admitted violent disorder at previous hearings.

MSN

Two men jailed for involvement with city disorder

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September 12, 2024
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Two men have been jailed for their involvement in a violent city protest last month.

Lee Gilpin, 43, and Michael Tarling, 42, both of Stoke Gifford, Bristol, were sentenced to two years in prison at Bristol Crown Court earlier after pleading guilty to violent disorder.

Both men were part of groups that became violent or threatening, causing fear for others’ safety during the disorder on 3 August.

The unrest occurred when hundreds of far-right protesters and a counter-protest group gathered for two demonstrations near Castle Park in Bristol on 3 August.

During the unrest the court heard Gilpin threw a concrete parasol stand at the windscreen of a police vehicle and verbally abused and assaulted members of the public and officers outside the Mercure Hotel.

He also kicked an officer’s bike, police said.

Police said Tarling threw an object at officers before kicking and punching another man on Redcliffe Way. He later threw an object into a crowd of people.

The court heard that Tarling also made racial comments and gestured towards police officers and counter protestors.

So far, 19 people have been sentenced for their involvement.

A total of 50 people have been arrested and 37 have been charged, police said.

Det Ch Insp Tom Herbert said: “Both these men played significant roles in the violent disorder we saw in Bristol that day and have rightfully been sentenced for it.

“Nineteen people have now been sentenced in court and are serving more than 35 years combined in prison.”

A total of 50 people have been arrested in connection with the disorder.

Of those, 37 have been charged.

Demonstrations took place across England after three young girls were killed in Southport, Merseyside, on 29 July.

Avon and Somerset Police said it was keen to identify a number of people, external, officers want to speak to as part of their investigation.

BBC News

Man ‘too drunk’ to recall hotel riot actions jailed

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September 12, 2024
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A man who claimed he was too drunk to remember throwing an object at riot police outside a hotel housing asylum seekers has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Charlie Eames, 30, from Sheffield, admitted a charge of violent disorder related to the targeting of the Holiday Inn Express, in Manvers, Rotherham, on 4 August.

Police body-worn camera footage played at Sheffield Crown Court showed Eames throwing an unknown object at police before encouraging another man to throw a large piece of wood.

The hotel had been housing more than 200 asylum seekers at the time, with the violence involving about 400 people.

Rebecca Tanner, defending Eames, of High Street, said her client had seen videos of crowds outside the hotel on social media before it turned violent and decided to go along, believing it to be “peaceful”.

She told the court Eames had drunk a substantial amount before the incident and could not remember throwing the object.

“He readily accepts he was highly intoxicated,” she told the hearing.

“When the mood shifted, he became a willing participant.”

In the body-worn footage, Eames is seen at the front of the crowd wearing a gilet with a bottle of ginger wine pushed down his waistband.

Some of the mob broke into the hotel and tried to set it on fire, with 64 police officers, three police horses and a police dog left injured.

More than 80 people have been charged following the violence, with more than 30 jailed.

BBC News

Rotherham man arrested after posting riot photo as five jailed for violent disorder in August riots

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September 12, 2024
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Five men have received jail time for their part in the riot outside the Holiday Inn Express where one “violently” kicked a police officer.

Richard Harrison, 37, Ingsfield Lane, Rotherham was captured in several videos online taking part in the disorder.

But it was his own social media that led to his arrest after he posted a photo of him appearing to kick a police officer’s riot shield, leading to a member of the public reporting it to the investigation team.

Kurt Hooley, 34, of no fixed abode, was captured on police body cam footage at the scene of a mob who were attacking a line of officers.

He was captured violently kicking an officer, attempting to make them fall to the ground. Upon his arrest, Hooley admitted he was at the mass display of violent disorder, but later denied that it was him in the video evidence shown to him.

The two were sentenced on Tuesday (Sept 10), at Sheffield Crown Court.

Harrison was sentenced to two years and six months in prison and Hooley was sentenced to two years and eight months after he plead guilty to violent disorder at an earlier hearing at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on 30 August 2024.

Following a comprehensive review of CCTV captured on the day of the disorder, a media appeal was launched for Tomas Arnold, 19, of Cypress Road, Barnsley.

After spotting himself in the appeal, the 19-year-old handed himself in.

During a police interview, Arnold claimed he wasn’t a “violent” person and also hit-back at the allegation that he kicked an officer on the floor by saying he actually “kicked an officer who was stood up”.

On Wednesday (Sept 11), Arnold was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court to two years and two months in a young offender institution.

51-year-old Graham Harper, Harper, of Henry Street, Barnsley, also wound up with jail time after body cam footage from the riot howed Harper at the forefront of a group of people, shouting abuse and derogatory comments at officers.

He was also seen throwing bins at officers.

Harper went on to admit his involvement in the violence that day during his police interview stating his actions were ‘”1000% wrong”.

Harper was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder on August 20 at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court and was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court.

Luke Fowler, who was part of a violent mob which launched missiles at officers trying to protect the hotel staff and residents.

Online videos captured Fowler’s which led to him being identified as part of a media appeal.

When questioned about his aggressive behaviour towards the police officers, Fowler answered “no comment”.

The 38-year-old pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on August 29 and he was sentenced to two years and eight months.

MSN

Teen jailed for role in ‘shocking’ Southport disorder

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September 12, 2024
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Louis Instone pleaded guilty to violent disorder

A 19-year-old who played a role in the violent disorder in Southport has been jailed.

Louis Instone is the latest person to be jailed following the violent disorder that broke out in the town in the aftermath of the attack on Monday, July 29, that saw three schoolgirls killed during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

Appearing in Liverpool Crown Court today, Thursday, September 12, after pleading guilty to violent disorder, Instone, of Leyland Road, Southport, was sentenced to one year and six months in prison. He becomes the 46th person to be sentenced in relation to the disorder in Merseyside last month.

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Roberts said: “Instone has been jailed today for the role that he played in the shocking scenes we all witnessed in Southport. This latest sentencing brings the total number to 101 years for the 46 people that have been sentenced so far.

“In addition, we have made 100 arrests and charged 63, and there will be many more to come. We continue to identify more people who attended the disorder in Merseyside and we will not stop until we’ve put everyone we possibly can before the courts.”

This week DCI Roberts issue a stark warning to those involved in the disorder, saying they should “keep looking over your shoulder until we knock at your door”. He told the ECHO on Wednesday: “In terms of the incidents in Southport and one week later in Liverpool, it was shocking and disgusting. That has involved in the course of the investigation reviewing hundreds and hundreds of hours of CCTV in order to be able to identify those people who were in attendance and involved in that disorder.

“The disorder that we saw in Southport and Liverpool caused such trauma and I hope now the sentences we have seen being passed sends a message, not only to communities within Merseyside, but wider as well.”

Liverpool Echo