A woman in the public gallery of the court cried ‘he never done nothing Tommy’ as he was jailed
A rioter who hurled a missile towards the police flew home from a holiday in Greece and was sent straight to prison.
Thomas Whitehead was arrested at an airport as he returned to the UK, having become embroiled within violent scenes which unfolded in Southport following the fatal stabbings of six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice Da Silva Aguiar last month.
Cries of “he never done nothing” were heard in court as he was locked up this afternoon, Wednesday. Appearing alongside him in the dock was Daniel Carrigan, who claims he visited the seaside town to “pay his respects” to the victims but instead snorted cocaine and trashed a police van.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today that around 50 police officers were injured as a 1,000-strong crowd descended on St Luke’s Road in the town on the evening of July 30. Rioters thereafter hurled missiles, “damaged and looted” properties and chanted “this is our f***ing country”, “s***houses”, “scumbag b******s” and “Allah, Allah, who the f*** is Allah?” as the nearby mosque on Sussex Road became the “focus” of the violence.
Rebecca Smith, prosecuting, described how Carrigan, of Preston Grove in Anfield, was seen kicking at a police van and throwing two items “one after the other” at one of its windows. The 41-year-old handed himself in at St Anne Street Police Station on August 14 after being circulated as wanted.
Under interview, he “accepted he was involved in the violent disorder and causing damage to the police carrier” and said he had taken the train to Southport “with the intention of paying his respects”. But, having taken cocaine and seen a “large crowd gathering”, Carrigan stated he “got carried away and threw bottles” at the van.
He added he “doesn’t know why he got involved”, but was “venting frustration at the government”. His criminal record shows convictions for eight offences, including battery in 2007 and being handed a suspended prison sentence for racially-aggravated assault in 2016 after telling a traffic warden “he should return back to his own country”.
Charles Lander, defending Carrigan, told the court: “His first words to me today were his insistence that I must say at the outset that he wants to apologise for his actions. He is embarrassed by his actions and wants everyone to know he is sorry for what he did.”
Mr Lander said of his client’s drug use: “It has caused harm to his relationships with his family, his own daughter, his parents and friends. He has lost work, and he knows his cocaine addiction at the time of the offence was out of control. He is determined to learn from this. He did not go to cause violence. He got carried away with the mob.”
Whitehead, of Pool Street in Southport, was meanwhile “seen in and amongst the large group” and threw an item towards the cordon of officers and police vehicles at one stage. The 53-year-old was arrested on August 13 at Manchester Airport, which the ECHO understands came as he was returning from a holiday in Greece.
When interviewed, the dad-of-three told detectives that he had “been at a public house and noticed a large group gathering and went to see what was happening”. Whitehead “accepted throwing an item” but said he “didn’t believe it had hit any of the officers”.
He has 18 previous convictions for 47 offences between 1987 and 1998. His counsel Paul Wood said: “He is a family man and he is a working man.
“He had gone to the vigil. He does not know what on Earth took hold of him when he threw that one missile. He is absolutely distraught with what he has done.
“He does not seek to justify it in any way. There are many victim as far as this behaviour is concerned. The town of Southport is very much a victim.
“This defendant hangs his head in shame. He has worked for many years as a self-employed gardener. Whatever convictions he had, he fortunately turned his life around.
“He has many characteristics as a family man and a hard working individual who has provided for his family. It goes against the grain of what he stands for. He has absolutely no intention of ever appearing before these courts again.”
Carrigan, who made a love heart sign with his hands towards his supporters in the public gallery at one stage during the hearing, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and criminal damage. He nodded and said “thank you” after being jailed for 32 months, then added “love you mum, don’t be angry, love yous all” as he was led to cells.
Whitehead admitted violent disorder. A woman in public gallery was heard saying “he never done nothing Tommy” as he was imprisoned for 20 months.
Sentencing, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: “Following the tragic events which took place in Southport on the 29th of July this year, serious disorder in the form of vandalism, intimidation and violence – much of which was motivated by religious and racial hatred – spread across Merseyside and into other cities across the UK. That disorder brought fear and destruction to local communities.
“There is an overwhelming obligation on the courts to do what they can to ensure the protection of the public. Consequently, those who choose to participate in disturbances of the magnitude that have occurred recently – causing injury, damage and fear to law abiding members of the community and to police officers doing there best to protect them – must expect to receive severe sentences, intended both to punish them and deter others. This particular incident is made all the more serious by the fact that it took place soon after and nearby to the events of the previous day, undoubtedly adding to the distress already felt by the local community.”
Far-Right Criminals 