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Tag Archives: Colne

Nuclear industry worker jailed after laughing during Southport disorder

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August 30, 2024
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Gavin Pinder, 47, has been jailed for two years and four months.

A “highly-paid” nuclear power industry worker who laughed as he took part in disorder outside a mosque in Southport has been jailed for two years and four months.

More than 50 police officers were injured and a carrier was set alight during riots outside Southport mosque on July 30, the day after three girls were killed in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the town.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Gavin Pinder, 47, had a “highly paid, responsible job” at the Hinkley Point power station in Somerset, but had been at his home in Failsworth, Greater Manchester, spending time with family when he said he was contacted by an associate who made him aware of a protest that was to take place in Southport.

Michael Johnson, defending, said Pinder believed the protest was focused on the belief that “something was being held back from the public in relation to the identity or circumstances of the person who had been detained” following the knife attack.

He said Pinder, who admitted violent disorder, had travelled to Southport and congregated with others in a pub.

“He understood the focus of the protest was to be a police station where he believed the detainee to be held. He did not know that a mosque was going to be the focus of the protest and didn’t learn that until he arrived back in Manchester the day after,” Mr Johnson said.

Footage of the disorder showed Pinder shout at officers, throw a traffic cone and throw a smaller object towards them.

He was arrested at a pub in Manchester on August 17 and in interview told police he had been struck by an officer with a baton after asking why they were not releasing information about the suspect.

The court heard Pinder, father to a four-year-old, had 10 previous convictions, including for breaching an international football banning order.

Sentencing him, Judge Simon Medland KC said: “You threw two objects at police, were clearly seen to be laughing and taking the view, perhaps, this had a recreational element to you.

“How this sits with the character references in your case and your highly responsible, very well-paid job is difficult to reconcile.”

He was jailed along with Jonathan Duerden, 31, and Joseph Buckley, 44, who also admitted violent disorder.

Chris Taylor, prosecuting, said Duerden, a handyman from Colne, Lancashire, threw a brick that bounced off the top of a police carrier and encouraged the crowd to advance towards police.

He told police he travelled to Southport to lay flowers at a vigil, but said he had taken a cocktail of drugs including cannabis, ketamine and cocaine along with alcohol.

Andrew McInnes, defending, told the court the defendant had ADHD, was barely literate or numerate and his family believed he had been addicted to cannabis since the age of 13.

He said: “It certainly seems this defendant is more of a follower than a leader.”

Duerden was jailed for two years.

The court heard Buckley, of Litherland, Merseyside, was the joint owner of a civil engineering business and was seen on footage throwing a brick around a corner towards police.

In interview, he said he had thrown the brick because he was angry after an officer “assaulted him with a shield”.

Des Lennon, defending, said Buckley had believed he was going to a peaceful vigil but had stayed for about two hours after violence broke out because of “morbid curiosity”.

Jailing him for 16 months, Judge Medland said: “You are an intelligent and capable person and you could readily have left. You didn’t, you involved yourself in this.”

Evening Standard

Police find two samurai swords in rioter’s house

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August 14, 2024
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Three men appeared in Magistrates’ Court this morning accused of taking part in violent disorder

A man was caught with a samurai sword after throwing items at police during the violent disorder in Southport. Joshua Jones, 31, of St Mark’s Road, in St Helens, appeared before District Judge Paul Healey on Wednesday morning charged with violent disorder and possession of a samurai sword, on different occasions. He pleaded guilty to both charges.

On July 30, the night violence erupted in Southport, Jones travelled to Sussex Road in the town as rioters targeted a mosque. Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard how Jones had been seen on CCTV throwing items at the police, which looked to be either glass or brick. Alex Farrow, prosecuting, also said Jones had been hostile towards police, who were at the cordon outside the local mosque, while wearing a face covering.

A warrant was issued for his arrest, and a search of his property was also made. Police located two samurai swords at the address. Jones, who has previous convictions, was denied bail and was remanded in custody for sentence at Crown Court on August 20.

Jones was one of three men who appeared in Liverpool Magistrates’ Court today (August 14) accused of being involved with the violent disorder in Southport earlier this month. Jonathan Duerden, 31, of The Crescent, in Colne, Lancashire, also appeared before Judge Healey charged with violent disorder. He pleaded guilty to the charge and will appear in Liverpool Crown Court for sentencing on August 20.

The court heard how Duerden was seen at the Southport incident on July 30 on CCTV leaning down to the ground, picking up a brick and throwing it at a police car. Jones was denied bail.

Another man, Andrew Jackson, 41, of Ramford Street, in St Helens, was accused of violent disorder, he pleaded not guilty. He was also charged with possession of a controlled Class B drug (cannabis), to which he pleaded guilty. During police interview Jackson denied that a person caught on CCTV during the disorder was him. No application for bail was made and Jackson was remanded in custody.

Liverpool Echo

Ex-BNP candidate jailed for stockpiling explosives

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June 2, 2020
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A former British National party candidate who stockpiled explosive chemicals and ball bearings in anticipation of a future civil war was today jailed for two and a half years.

As he has already spent nearly a year in custody, however, he is likely to be released within six months.

Robert Cottage, aged 49, from Colne, Lancashire, had pleaded guilty to possession of the chemicals. He was acquitted after two trials on charges of conspiracy to cause explosions.

Sentencing Cottage at Manchester’s crown square court, Mrs Justice Swift said he continued to hold views “that veer towards the apocalyptic”. She added that his actions had been “criminal and potentially dangerous” but said there was a low risk of his committing further offences.

“It is important to understand that Cottage’s intention was that if he ever had to use the thunder flashes, it was only for the purpose of deterrence,” Mrs Justice Swift said.

Cottage had believed that, as he saw it, “the evils of uncontrolled immigration” would lead to civil war, which would be imminent and inevitable, she said.

“The pre-sentence report says Cottage continues to hold views that veer towards the apocalyptic. The risk of further offending of the same type is low but it cannot be ruled out.”

The judge said she accepted that Cottage’s intention had been to hold on to the chemicals, which included ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and hydrochloric acid, until the outbreak of civil disturbance.

But she warned: “In letting off any such thunder flash, mistakenly believing you were under threat, you may have caused injury to some innocent person.”

Alistair Webster QC, Cottage’s counsel, told the court his client accepted that he had bought the potassium nitrate and sulphur with the intention of manufacturing gunpowder, but said this would have been used only to create thunder flash-style bangers to scare off intruders.;

Cottage, who stood three times unsuccessfully for the BNP in local council elections, was arrested last September after police found the stockpile of chemicals at his home in Talbot Street, Colne.

The police took action after Cottage’s wife told a social worker of her concerns about the items he was storing and, and about her husband’s stated belief that immigration was out of control.

Police also found ball bearings and a document about bomb-making from the do-it-yourself explosives-making manual The Anarchist Cookbook on his computer. He also had air pistols, crossbows and a stockpile of food.

“I believe it is everyone’s God-given right to defend themselves and their families if they are attacked,” Cottage told the court during his trial. “The breakdown of the financial system will inevitably put an unbearable strain on the social structures of this country.”

Cottage claimed in court that, with the armed forces in the Middle East and the police insufficiently trained, the authorities would be unable to offer people protection.

He added that immigration was a luxury that Britain could not afford, but that he drove a bus for children with disabilities and had a good relationship with the Asian children among them.

A second man, David Jackson, 62, a dentist, was also charged with conspiracy to cause explosions but was cleared after the jury twice failed to reach verdicts.

A BNP spokesman said after sentencing that the prosecution had been brought for political reasons. “We’re not condoning it, but it’s a quid pro quo to appease the Muslims,” said Dr Phil Edwards, of the BNP.

“To keep them quiet, we’ll snatch someone from white society. We certainly don’t support the bloke. We condemn all forms of violence … but I wouldn’t have thought you could do any harm with what he had.”

Dr Edwards said Cottage would not be standing as a candidate for the BNP again. “We never have anyone in the party with criminal convictions,” he said, because “lefties and people on your newspaper” would publicise the fact.
The Guardian

From 2007