She was ‘at the front of a large group behaving in a threatening way’

A rabble-rousing grandmother who helped stir up trouble during “12 hours of racist, hate-fuelled mob violence” in Hull city centre has been jailed for two years.

Julieanne Kay was walking around with a piece of wood in her hand while large numbers of police were being confronted outside a hotel that was housing asylum seekers.

She was present when fires were started at a garage and a “baying mob” surrounded a car that had three “terrified” men inside it, Hull Crown Court heard.

Kay, 47, of Lorraine Street, Hull, admitted violent disorder on August 3.

Judge John Thackray KC said that Kay played a prominent role at the front of a group of people who were confronting police outside the Royal Hotel in Ferensway, where asylum seekers were living at the time. She made a comment about “banana boats” and she was part of racist insults that were hurled during the disturbance.

She pushed a large blue bin towards police and she was walking around holding a piece of wood. Kay was near her boyfriend, David Wilkinson, 48, of Lorraine Street, who had nunchucks with him. He was jailed for six years at a hearing in August for violent disorder, attempted arson and causing racially aggravated criminal damage.

Judge Thackray told Kay: “You were at the front of a large group behaving in a threatening way, waving and beckoning at the crowd. You tried to damage a litter bin that was screwed to the ground. You were kicking and pulling at it.”

Kay was also present when fires were set at a garage and when a BMW car was surrounded by a “baying mob” while three “terrified” occupants were inside. “You were part of that episode,” said Judge Thackray.

Rachel Scott, mitigating, said that Kay had three children and three grandchildren. “She is incredibly embarrassed to find herself here today and she is appalled by her behaviour,” said Miss Scott.

“She got carried away with all of this.” Kay was involved in some unpleasant behaviour but she claimed that she was carrying the piece of wood not as a weapon but more as a crutch.

She “mirrored” the behaviour of her boyfriend, David Wilkinson, and she became “carried away in an entirely unpleasant way” during the trouble.

“She is incredibly remorseful and incredibly embarrassed,” said Miss Scott. “She has already served three months of a prison sentence.

“A Class A drugs addiction has blighted most of her life. Her Class A drugs addiction started when she was injected with drugs by a partner. She has managed her mental health by turning to Class A drugs.”

Kay had been clean of drugs for five or six years and her most recent previous conviction was from 2009. At the time of the offence, she had split up with her boyfriend of 26 years for about four weeks. “She was struggling to come to terms with the break-up,” said Miss Scott.

Judge Thackray said that Kay’s actions were “part of 12 hours of racist, hate-fuelled mob violence” that had caused “immeasurable harm” and left a huge financial cost.

“I am not satisfied that your risk can be managed in the community or that you can be rehabilitated in the community,” said Judge Thackray. “Ultimately, only appropriate punishment can be achieved by way of an immediate custodial sentence.”

Hull Daily Mail