Archive

Tag Archives: Southport

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

A young woman at the forefront of a riot in Southport which followed the killings of three girls in the town has pleaded guilty to three offences.

Ellie Clarke was charged with violent disorder following the incident on 30 July, which took place in the wake of the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

The 21-year-old, who also admitted with assaulting an emergency worker and racially aggravated harassment, repeatedly wept in the dock at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the offences on Wednesday and was remanded in custody to appear at the city’s crown court on Tuesday.

‘Racial hate element’

Andrew Page, prosecuting, told the court that a large group had gathered in Sussex Road near a mosque in the evening and there was a confrontation with police officers in riot gear.

“Miss Clarke can clearly be seen on CCTV at the front of a group who are confronting the police. She was pacing up and down for a long time. At one point she walked up to the line of police officers.”

Mr Page told the court she then shouted at police a series of racial slurs.

She was seen to strike an officer’s riot shield, the court heard.

Opposing bail Mr Page said the racial hate element was an aggravating factor.

Terry Naylor, defending, applied for bail and said Clarke, of Chestnut Street, Southport, had no previous convictions and had handed herself in to police after a photograph of her was circulated in the media.

“She accepts she may be facing a sentence of immediate custody of some length.”

District Judge Paul Healey refused bail and sent the case to crown court.

BBC News

Anthony Buck says he was hit with batons four times by police officers and PAVA sprayed after launching missiles towards them

A dad’s “curiosity” led to him being hit with batons four times by police officers and PAVA sprayed twice.

Anthony Buck says that he was met with such retaliation after launching four missiles towards PCs when scenes of violence erupted in Southport following the fatal stabbings of six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice DaSilva Aguiar.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Wednesday, that a 1,000-strong crowd descended on the Southport Islamic Society Mosque on the evening of July 30 this year, the day after the killings, and chanted “this is our f***ing country”, “s***houses”, “scumbag b****rds” and “who the f*** is Allah?”. Items being hurled towards officers led to more than 50 being injured, while residents’ properties were “significantly” damaged and one police van was destroyed by fire at a cost of £100,000.

Christopher Taylor, prosecuting, described how Buck was seen on CCTV in close proximity to Windsor Mini Mart as the shop was looted, with cigarettes, crates of beer and bottles of spirits being taken from inside after the shutters were ripped open. The 52-year-old, formerly of Shakespeare Street, was said to have been “front and centre” as entry was forced to the premises, although he did not enter the store.

Footage also captured him launching objects towards the police four times in quick succession in his “distinctive” blue Berghaus top. Buck was subsequently arrested at Southport Police Station on August 29.

Under interview, he “admitted throwing several small rocks or stones” and said he was “under the influence of drink” at the time. The defendant told detectives that he had been “PAVA sprayed twice and hit with a baton four times” and said he was “agitated”.

Buck meanwhile stated that he could not remember anything he had shouted at the scene, but maintained that it “would not have been racist chanting” as he was “not a racist”. He also said he had filmed the events on his mobile phone, but later deleted the footage.

His criminal record shows a total of 23 previous convictions for 32 offences dating back to 1986. This includes an entry for wounding without intent in 1994 and receiving 27 months for possession of heroin with intent to supply in August 2021.

Buck was originally released from this term in July 2022, but was subsequently recalled on licence in February 2023 before being freed again in November last year. Simon Christie, defending, told the court: “He bitterly regrets his part in the serious violent disorder on the streets of Southport.

“The defendant is a native of Southport. He is not one of those who travelled to the scene. He is seen undisguised on the footage. He instructs that he went to the crowd out of curiosity and then, out of pure stupidity, allowed himself to get involved and remained at the scene, and he threw a number of objects towards the police.

“He has responsibilities at home. He has two children, aged 12 and 13, who are being looked after by family members. Having seen the footage, he is quite simply appalled at what he did.

“He is proud of the town and cannot rationally explain why he become involved in it. He quite inexplicably not only got involved, he stayed there for an appreciable period of time – albeit the violence was concentrated into a relatively short period of time.”

Buck admitted violent disorder. Appearing in the dock wearing a black North Face t-shirt, he nodded as he was jailed for 28 months.

Sentencing, Judge Denis Watson KC said: “A mob which became a thousand strong gathered near to the mosque. Without any justification at all, the mob attacked the mosque and its community – who were completely blameless – and the police, who were, in the eyes of the mob, at fault for trying to protect those who were their targets.

“The mob laid siege to the police line. There was a violent confrontation. In years passed, it would probably have been described as a pitched battle and it lasted a considerable amount of time.

“The events which you were part of sparked a series of incidents of mob violence in other places in the days and weeks which followed, the consequences being far reaching – not just for the people of Southport, but for the people of Merseyside. Those who choose to participate in such disorder which causes injury, damage and fear to communities will, as you now appreciate, inevitably be punished with sentences designed to deter others from similar activity.”

Liverpool Echo

Edgar Didzulas hurled a missile towards police officers and kicked a garden wall

A judge highlighted a convicted sex offender’s “problem” after hearing of his words to the police following his arrest.

Edgar Didzulas hurled a missile towards officers and kicked a resident’s garden wall down as violent scenes unfolded in Southport following the fatal stabbings of six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice DaSilva Aguiar last month.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Wednesday, that trouble flared outside the Southport Islamic Society Mosque on Sussex Road on the evening of July 30 while worshippers were engaged in evening prayers. Rioters then “shouted Islamophobic chants”, launched objects towards the building and police officers – more than 50 of whom were injured – and caused damage to nearby properties.

Simon Leong, prosecuting, described how Didzulas, of Bath Street, Southport, was captured on CCTV and drone footage kicking down a wall outside an address before throwing a brick towards a line of police officers, having “initially been seen acting somewhat passively, watching the disorder and recording on his mobile telephone”.

The 39-year-old was recognised in the video clips “by an officer who had previous dealings with him” and was then seen in the same beige Firetrap hoodie and blue shorts he had been wearing at the time of the incident when subjected to a stop and search on Lord Street five days later.

When subsequently arrested at his home on August 19, he at first claimed: “I was there. I was looking, but I was throwing nothing.”

Under interview, Didzulas stated that he was drunk at the time of the incident and “recalled being there but had no recollection of kicking down a wall or throwing a projectile at the police”. However, he accepted that he was caught on camera doing so and added that he “was remorseful for his involvement”.

His criminal record shows four previous convictions for nine offences – including theft and fraud in 2019, sexual assault, battery and intentional strangulation in 2022 and being locked up in November last year for breaching a non-molestation order. Didzulas then received a community order in December 2023 for failing to comply with notification requirements.

Lloyd Morgan, defending, told the court: “Mr Didzulas is embarrassed and ashamed by his behaviour. He knows he has let himself down and his community down.

“The words he used in his prepared statement were, I am deeply sorry for what I have done and I am very remorseful. If sober at the time, I would have just walked away.

“He does suffer with an alcohol problem, if not alcoholism. There is nothing to indicate any hostility towards any racial or religious group.

“This was simply a man who behaved appallingly in the wrong place at the wrong time. Prior to his remand, he was working as a forklift driver and also in the gardening trade.

“He has a soon-to-be 11-year-old son, with whom he has regular contact. Your honour will see that his immigration status is perhaps under review at the moment in any event.”

Didzulas admitted violent disorder. Assisted by a Latvian interpreter in the dock, he showed no reaction as he was jailed for 28 months.

Sentencing, Judge David Swinnerton said: “Following the appalling and tragic events which took place in Southport on the 29th of July, much of the community was shocked and grieving. However, others including you caused serious disorder the following day in the form of vandalism, intimidation, threat and violence, motivated by racial or religious hatred which spread from Southport across Merseyside and to other areas of the country.

“That brought a great deal of fear and destruction to local communities. When the police came to do their job, their public role, they came under sustained attack. They should, of course, have been able to focus on a major murder investigation.

“The courts have a duty to ensure that they do what they can to ensure the protection of all members of the public. People are entitled to go about their every day life – be that their work, their domestic life or their faith – without being subjected to this level or any level of threat, fear, intimidation and violence. That is why those who choose to participate in the sort of disturbances we witnessed at the end of July and beginning of August must expect severe sentences, the purpose of which is to punish you and deter others.

“Two crowds gathered in Southport. One was a peaceful vigil. It is sad that the focus and attention was directed away from that by the other group, which focussed its attentions on the local mosque.

“Clearly, alcohol plays a part in your offending history. You have expressed your remorse. You have said that, if you had been sober at the time, you would have just walked away.

“That is probably right. But you failed to learn your lesson because you have committed offences, including violence, because of your alcohol abuse. While it may be right that you would not have done it sober, your problem is that you are frequently not.”
Liverpool Echo

Rioters have blamed a charity walk which “got out of hand”, an ill-fated trip to Gravity Max and being blackmailed by an older brother for their involvement in the disorder.

Violent scenes flared up in Southport, Liverpool city centre and Walton following the fatal stabbings of six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar last month.

Police vans were set alight and officers were attacked on St Luke’s Road in the seaside town on the evening of July 30. A planned protest at the Pier Head the following Saturday then descended into violence, with Merseyside Police forced to use riot gear after bricks and debris were thrown towards PCs.

The disturbances continued on County Road that night as chaos, violence and destruction ensued as looters targeted businesses in the area, including a fire being started at Spellow Library and Community Hub. Here, the ECHO has taken a look at some of the excuses defendants have given to the courts and to the police for becoming embroiled within the events.

A 14-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons

A 14-year-old boy from South Liverpool, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Monday, August 5. Joshua Sanderson-Kirk, prosecuting told the court that this related to the teenager throwing fireworks at a police van near to B&M on Clayton Square in Liverpool city centre, a store which had earlier been “looted”.

He was found with five fireworks and a lighter following his arrest and told officers: “I’m sorry. I wasn’t firing them at you though.”

His solicitor Iqbal Kang told the judge: “He has no prior convictions whatsoever, he has never been in trouble with the police before. It is completely out of character for him.

“He tells me he headed into the city centre with the intention of catching a bus home. He was on his own. It seems, perhaps through inexperience and lack of maturity, he became involved with people he did not know who were offering out fireworks.

“He says he does not know why he became involved, but did not think things through. He did not head into the city centre with the intention of causing any kind of disturbance.

“He has had plenty of time to think about his actions. He has spent two nights in custody. He understands how foolish and silly he has been and wishes he could turn the clock back.

“It is completely out of the blue. One could positively say if he had not been heading into the city centre to catch a bus, we would not be convened here like this.”

The boy will be sentenced at the youth court on August 27. He was released on bail until this date under conditions not to enter the L1, L2 or L3 postcode areas.

Declan Geiran

Declan Geiran
Declan Geiran (Image: Merseyside Police)

Declan Geiran formed part of a “large group of males” who “attacked and damaged” a police van which had been parked near to St George’s Hall, including attempting to tip the vehicle over. A video which was later posted on TikTok showed the 29-year-old, of Kelso Road in Kensington, beside the open driver’s window and setting a seatbelt on fire before smoke was seen billowing from the cab.

CCTV footage captured him thereafter “remaining at the scene” and “sitting casually on the fountain outside the Walker Art Gallery watching the police van”, which was written off as a result of damage caused during the incident. He then filmed the scenes on his mobile phone as he left the area.

Geiran was however arrested after being “easily identified by his backpack, clothing and tattoos”, with lighters being seized from him upon his detention. Under interview, he told detectives that he had attended the protests alone as he “wanted to show his support for the bereaved families”.

Christopher Taylor, prosecuting, added: “He stated that he saw the van and heard shouts of ‘burn the van’. He said he was told to burn a book under the seat. He didn’t, but set fire to the seatbelt.

“He stated that he felt under pressure and that he did not believe his actions had caused the damage. He stated that he had not gone out to act violently and denied any negative thoughts on immigration or political issues.”

Geiran admitted violent disorder and arson. He was locked up for 30 months at the crown court on Wednesday, August 7.

Jordan Davies

Jordan Davies
Jordan Davies (Image: Merseyside Police)

Balaclava clad Jordan Davies brandished a knife near to the scene of a vigil for the victims of the Southport knife attacks then claimed that his daughter had been “stabbed up”. Just over 24 hours on from the fatal stabbings, children and families fled in terror after Jordan Davies was spotted carrying a flick knife a mere matter of minutes away from the scene.

One terrified dad even asked for his family to be locked inside a shop as the incident unfolded. Following his arrest, the mindless thug maintained that he had found the weapon while urinating near to a Tesco Express store after downing cans of cider and said he was intending to hand the item in to the police.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday, August 9, that the “Southport community came together for a vigil” at 6pm on Tuesday, July 30, following the “tragedy” the previous day. Davies, of Portland Street in the town, was then seen in possession of the weapon a “short distance” away on Eastbank Street, near to the Wellington pub and a branch of KFC, at around 6.45pm.

Mr Taylor described how members of the public “ran and screamed” after a woman was heard to shout “he’s got a knife”. One witness, Michael Hayes, had been laying flowers at the scene with his partner, kids and friends and was forced to “push them into the nearby Baltic Supermarket for safety”.

Another, Claire Oldham, meanwhile saw Davies “approaching other males with the blade out”. The 32-year-old was also said to have pulled down a balaclava over his face during the altercation.

Police officers subsequently found him “hiding behind a pillar” near to a snooker hall on Princes Street. While he initially “denied having anything on him”, the knife was then discovered inside a bag which he had been wearing around his neck.

Davies then claimed he had “simply picked the bag up” and was in the area “for a peaceful protest”. He added that “his daughter had been stabbed up and he had been assaulted”.

Footage taken from a PC’s body worn camera was played to the court, and captured him saying: “I’ve got the bag off the floor, that’s it. I’ve got nothing on me.”

When told why he was being detained, Davies replied: “Cos of yesterday and I look a bit foreign? Are you kidding me? I understand what’s gone on, my daughter’s been stabbed. That’s not my bag. I’ve just picked the bag up.

“How’ve I got a lock knife on my f***ing person? I’ve just picked the bag up. My daughter’s been stabbed up. How’ve I got a knife on me? I just picked the bag up off the floor.”

Under interview following his arrest, Davies stated that he had earlier consumed “three to four ciders” at home and “picked up the pouch” while urinating near to a Tesco Express store “with the intention of placing it in an amnesty or taking it to a police station”. He added that he was only “seeking to do a good act”.

Davies admitted possession of a bladed article in a public place and breaching a suspended sentence order. Appearing in the dock wearing a grey prison issue tracksuit and wearing short dark hair, he nodded as he was jailed for two years.

A previous 16-week suspended sentence which was previously imposed upon him in June was also activated in full and ordered to run consecutively to this term, leading to a total sentence of two years and 16 weeks. Davies was meanwhile handed a serious violence reduction order, which will commence upon his release and last for two years thereafter, with forfeiture and destruction of the knife being ordered.

Dylan Carey

Dylan Carey
Dylan Carey (Image: Merseyside Police)

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Monday, August 12, that Carey was captured on CCTV mobile phone and body worn camera footage throwing items including a tin of paint and a bottle at officers, as well as kicking out at police vans. One PC later recognised him at Southport Station in the company of his girlfriend and dad from videos which had been circulated on X, formerly Twitter.

When spoken to, the 26-year-old “accepted he had been present but denied involvement”. But Nardeen Nemat, prosecuting, described how he was then arrested at his home address on Castle Hill Road in Hindley, Wigan, on August 5.

Under interview, he “said he had travelled to lay some flowers and light a candle with his pregnant girlfriend” and then decided to attend the “peaceful protest” after seeing it advertised on a Facebook post. But, while there, he claimed he “grew angrier and began to throw items himself”.

Carey has no previous convictions. Colin Buckle, defending, told the court: “His intention was not to travel to Southport with criminal intent. He became involved by his own hand, he was not forced. The mood began to change, others began to behave in this way and he joined in. He cannot explain why. Their intention was to go in respect of what they believed to be a peaceful vigil. Things turned from that. Of course, he involved himself.

“The impact on him of a potentially lengthy custodial sentence is that that sentence will be exacted upon him in respect of the loss of his liberty, of course, but moreover due to the fact that, if your honour returns him to custody, he will miss the birth of his child.

“The couple have suffered from two miscarriages. The child they are expecting has complications. It is an uncertain time. He has been a rock to her. Of course, she has lost him by his own hand and his behaviour.

Carey, who was seen blowing kisses to his supporters in the public gallery during the hearing, admitted violent disorder. Wearing a white shirt and black tie in the dock, he was jailed for 18 months as his partner sat in tears with her head in her hands.

Philip Prescott

Philip Prescott
Philip Prescott (Image: Merseyside Police)

Philip Prescott, of Sefton Street in Southport, was seen on CCTV and video footage captured by a police helicopter taking items out of a bin and hurling them towards police officers before “others followed suit”. The 38-year-old then “dragged another wheelie bin” towards a cordon formed by PCs before removing further objects and throwing them.

He subsequently kicked the wall of a residential property and climbed into the garden before running towards officers in possession of a brick, which he “launched towards” them. Prescott thereafter returned to the damaged wall once more and threw further bricks, including at the window of a police van.

Following his arrest on Lord Street in the town on August 5, he gave a prepared statement under interview in which he “said he had been drinking and was very upset by the death of the three children”. He then “heard there was something happening near to St Luke’s and went to see what was happening” and, although he could not recall his actions due to being under the influence of alcohol, stated that he was “ashamed by what he did and was sorry”.

Prescott admitted violent disorder. He gave a thumbs up to the public gallery as he was led down to the cells after receiving 28 months in prison on Tuesday, August 13.

Tony Hazlett

Tony Hazlett
Tony Hazlett (Image: Merseyside Police)

Tony Hazlett was captured on CCTV throwing two missiles in the direction of the police. When officers went to the 46-year-old’s home on Bank Road in Bootle on August 7, he was described as being “very drunk” and resisted arrest in a violent struggle. He later told police: “I’m sorry. I just did it because everyone was doing it.”

Hazlett explained that he had travelled by train to Southport with friends and accepted he threw “two pieces of slate” before leaving shortly after. The dad-of-six admitted violent disorder and was jailed for 28 months on Thursday, August 15.

Curtis Faure

Curtis Faure
Curtis Faure (Image: Merseyside Police)

Curtis Faure was captured in a single photograph “leaning back with a brick in his hand, about to throw it” on the Strand. The 19-year-old, of Thomas Lane in Broadgreen, handed himself in at Marsh Lane Police Station on the afternoon of August 8 after this image was circulated in the media by Merseyside Police.

He stated under interview that he “intended to go to Gravity Max when he heard about a riot on the Dock Road and wanted to see what was going on”. Faure told detectives that he had been present for up to half an hour and “picked up a single brick and threw it at police officers”, but said that the missile had not connected.

The teen added that he “could not provide an explanation why he behaved in that way” and maintained that his actions were not racially motivated, his parents originally being from South Africa. He has no previous convictions.

Faure admitted violent disorder. He was jailed for a year on Thursday, August 15.

George Clements

George Clements
George Clements (Image: Merseyside Police)

Clements was captured on mobile phone footage near to a shop on Church Street which had been targeted by louts. The 18-year-old – of Egerton Street in New Brighton, Wirral – was shown with a brown scarf covering his face and “aggressively approaching” an older male with grey hair who was carrying a shopping bag.

He then turned his attention to a “male with an olive skin tone”, hitting out at his hand before being ushered away by another man. The teen however “broke free” and confronted the same victim again, kicking him to the area of his hip in what was said to have been a “racially motivated” attack.

Clements thereafter “gestured towards his penis” and “made a masturbation gesture”. He and another man then ran towards the older complainant, sparking other members of the public to intervene.

The thugs were then seen running away as sirens were heard in the background of the video. Clements was identified after this footage – which showed a child in a wheelchair in the vicinity on the violence – was shared on social media, leading to his arrest at his home address on August 9.

Julian Nutter, defending, told the court: “He did not go into town to participate in these unfortunate events. He went for a meal and became drunk. Things kicked off. He got drawn in, being the young fool he is, and acted in the reprehensible manner he did. He is not part of the looting. What we can see is disorderly behaviour.”

Clements admitted affray and breaching a suspended sentence order. He was nodded and smiled after he was jailed for two years on Thursday, August 15, then waved to his supporters in the public gallery as he was led down to the cells.

Ellis Wharton

Ellis Wharton
Ellis Wharton (Image: Merseyside Police)

Brothers Adam and Ellis Wharton, both of Selwyn Street in Kirkdale, admitted burglary with intent to steal at Spellow Library. Mr Taylor told Liverpool Crown Court: “At about 2am, officers were alerted by the National Police Air Service that persons had entered that library.

“PC [Thomas] Nielsen entered the library and saw Ellis Wharton in possession of a computer monitor. He was told to put it down and he did. He was told he would be arrested. Once secured, he said ‘I’m sorry, I’ve been blackmailed by my brother to do it and made a stupid decision. I’m sorry’.”

Adam Wharton was then detained on nearby Dunluce Street, having been circulated as wanted after “acting as a lookout”. The 28-year-old was found in possession of a balaclava at this time while also “sweating profusely”.

Ellis Wharton, 22, told detectives under interview that his brother had “knocked on his door asking him to go out with him” with the “indication that they would go looting”. Mr Taylor added: “Adam, he said, kept a lookout while he entered. The plan was to take monitors to sell. He denied any violence or disorder and simply stated that they joined the group to loot.”

Adam Wharton was jailed for 20 months on Thursday, August 8. Ellis Wharton, who also pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency services worker, was imprisoned for 11 months.

Paul Daintith

Paul Daintith
Paul Daintith (Image: Merseyside Police)

Paul Daintith, of Fraser Street in Liverpool city centre, pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article in a public after he was spotted by police officers on East Street in Southport walking from a bush “at a quickening pace”. When stopped, he claimed that he had “just found a craft knife” and lifted his top up to PCs to show them the weapon within his waistband.

Following his arrest, Daintith stated that “he was a smackhead who picks everything up”. He was jailed for eight months on Friday, August 16.

Joshua Jones

Joshua Jones
Joshua Jones (Image: Merseyside Police)

A “football hooligan” claimed to have attended a three-mile charity walk in memory of the victims of the Southport stabbings before “things got out of hand” and he repeatedly hurled missiles towards police officers as violent scenes unfolded. Joshua Jones, of St Marks Road in Chester, was captured on video footage with his face covered by a scarf as he threw a series of objects towards PCs.

Mr Taylor, appearing for the prosecution, described how the 31-year-old also “moved forward with the surging crowd” and filmed the events on his mobile phone, having been “present from the start” and thereafter “front and centre”. Merseyside Police subsequently seized two samurai swords from his home when they attended in order to arrest him on the afternoon of August 12.

Under interview, he “stated that he went to Southport to attend the vigil” and “referenced taking part in a three-mile charity walk to support the murdered children”. Jones declined to watch any of the CCTV and said he “couldn’t remember anything” due to his undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD and autism.

However, he “acknowledged that things got out of hand”. Of the weapons discovered in his property, he added that the items had “been in the family for years” and said they “never left the house”.

Jones has a total of 15 previous convictions for 26 offences including inflicting grievous bodily harm, entering the playing area at a football match, breaching a football banning order, possession of a banned fighting dog, theft and criminal damage. Judge Neil Flewitt KC compared his record to that of a “football hooligan who appears to enjoy disorder in large groups”.

He was also handed a 26-week imprisonment suspended for 18 months by magistrates in March this year for assaulting an emergency services worker after pushing a police officer “with force” and “pushing his thumb into a constable’s eye” during a domestic altercation. Charles Lander, defending, told the court: “He is totally ashamed of his actions.

“He could not bear to watch the video. He is embarrassed, particularly at how he has let down the families of the deceased and injured children, the wider community and also his own family.

“His partner has stood by him and is particularly tearful in court today. Once again, he is going to be apart from her for his own stupid actions. He maintains that he went there for lawful reasons but stupidly got involved.”

The judge said of this: “I have enormous difficultly accepting that from a man who is prone to violence and hooliganism. There is a very strong inference here that he went to Southport to join in the disorder.”

Mr Lander continued: “My instructions are that he did not. The three-mile walk was his intention. Ultimately, I do not seek to minimise his behaviour. The camera speaks for itself.

“Clearly, the defendant has suffered significant tragedy in the last few years. His brother died tragically from carbon monoxide poisoning, his father also died as a result of an unfortunate incident and his mother passed away last year.”

Jones, who previously worked as the manager of a gym in Spain, admitted violent disorder, possession of an offensive weapon in a private place and breaching a suspended sentence order. His partner sat in tears in the public gallery as he was jailed for 38 months.

Sentencing, Judge Flewitt said: “Given your previous convictions, in particular your history of football hooliganism, I view with some scepticism the suggestion that you travelled to Southport to take part in a vigil. The fact that you so willingly again took part in violence towards the police causes me to doubt your expressions of remorse.”


Liverpool Echo

The courts are continuing to hand jail terms to those involved in recent unrest

Dozens more people have been sent to jail this week for taking part in disorder that spread across the UK earlier this month, after the deaths of three young girls in Southport.

Prosecutors have charged over 520 people following the recent disorder, with the CPS saying they are ‘working around the clock’ with police to ‘deliver swift justice.’ Since the start of August, at least 117 people have been sent to jail for their involvement in the riots.

Over the last week, thugs, including two brothers, have been jailed for throwing bricks and wheelie bins at police responders, assault and chanting racist abuse.

One man took a sledgehammer to cars at a garage belonging to a foreign national, while the terrified owner cowered inside with his family. Another used a large piece of concrete to smash the window of a police vehicle with an officer inside fearing for his life.

The majority of charges so far have been for violent disorder, which carries a maximum jail sentence of five years. Sentences can range from anything from a community order to increasingly longer spells in prison up to the maximum.

Here are some of the people put behind bars for their part in the riots last week.

Dean Groenewald, Sunderland (two years and two months)

Dean Groenewald
Dean Groenewald, 32, was filmed throwing a paving stone towards the police (Image: PA)

A man who threw a stone at police after getting “carried away” during riots in Sunderland has been jailed for more than two years. Dean Groenewald, 32, was jailed for 26 months at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday after admitting one count of violent disorder at a previous hearing.

The court heard that Groenewald was filmed throwing the paving stone at Keel Square during a riot that broke out following a protest in Sunderland city centre on August 2.

Claire Anderson, in mitigation, said that while her client threw the missile in the direction of the police, it had gone over their heads. “He got carried away in the moment, and for some inexplicable reason, he picked up that item that was on the floor and he threw it in the general direction of the police,” she said.

Ms Anderson said her formerly unemployed client had found work while on remand at HMP Hull. “In the short time that he has been on remand in Hull he has managed to get a job as a helper on the servery,” she said. “He hopes that he will be able to find alternative employment in custody, depending upon the circumstances and prison he ultimately ends up being sent to. Because, obviously, my lord knows the conditions in custody are exceptionally difficult at the moment.”

Niven Matthewman, Rotherham (two years and eight months)

Niven Matthewman, 19, threw a chair at police during unrest in Rotherham (Image: South Yorkshire Police)

Niven Matthewman, 19, threw a chair at police and yelled “Yorkshire, Yorkshire” outside a hotel housing asylum seekers. He was sentenced to two years and eight months in jail for taking part in violent disorder on August 4 in Rotherham.

At Sheffield Crown Court, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC described Matthewman as part of an “ignorant mob” who participated in racist disorder, and said the incident was “extremely frightening for anyone who was there”.

The court heard how 58 police officers were injured as a result of the incident, alongside three police dogs and a police horse.

Judge Richardson told Matthewman: “I cannot imagine why someone aged 19 years with no previous convictions would wish to get themselves in this and you must be punished.”

The judge said Matthewman would be detained in a young offenders’ institution and be subject to a criminal behaviour order for 10 years.

Donna Conniff, Hartlepool (two years)

Donna Conniff, 40, was caught on camera throwing bricks at police (Image: Cleveland Police)

A mum-of-six threw a brick at police officers during a violent protest in Hartlepool. Donna Conniff has been jailed for two years as a judge branded her actions “truly disgraceful”.

The 40-year-old was identified from CCTV and video footage of a protest in Murray Street on the evening of July 31, in which she was seen hurling a brick and a rock towards a line of police officers. She was arrested on August 13.

Conniff, of Alford Court in Hartlepool, dressed all in black and wearing sunglasses, was also seen handing a brick to a juvenile who threw it towards police, and was part of a crowd of people who surged forwards at officers and was seen joining in with cheers as missiles were thrown.

Martin Scarborough, defending Conniff, told Teesside Crown Court on Monday that she had come across the protest, which was advertised on social media, “by chance” at around 6pm.

Judge Francis Laird KC accepted that Conniff, who earlier pleaded guilty to violent disorder, was remorseful but said a custodial sentence was the correct course of action. He said: “Your behaviour and the behaviour of others around you was truly disgraceful.”

She was told she must serve up to one half of her 24-month sentence in custody before being released on licence. As she was led out of the dock, Conniff shouted “love you” to family members in the public gallery.

David Notley, London (one year and eight months)

David Notley, 67, was jailed for 20 months at Inner London Crown Court (Image: Met Police)

A 67-year-old man was locked up for 20 months after chanting “You’re not English anymore” at police officers during a demonstration in Whitehall in London. David Notley, of Buckhurst Hill, Epping Forest, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and causing religiously aggravated distress.

Alex Agbamu, prosecuting, said that “members and supporters of far-right organisations” took part in the protest on July 31. He said Notley made his way to the front of the crowd, confronted police in a “fighting pose” surging back and forth and joined in the chant “You’re not English anymore” and “Who the f*** is Allah?”.

He helped push another demonstrator into a police officer which “precipitated a physical confrontation involving the police (and) demonstrators”, the prosecutor said, and then remained at the front of the crowd.

Defending himself, he told the court that he got “swept up” in the demonstration and was not violent towards police officers.

Judge Freya Newbery told the court that Notley was a “career burglar and thief” who was jailed for 20 years in 2009 for drug smuggling. He had been released on licence but was recalled to prison for breaching his licence due to his involvement in the protest.

Lynden Parker, Manchester (two years and two months)

Lynden Parker, 26, launched a vape at a hotel housing asylum seekers (Image: GMP)

A tyre-fitter admitted violent disorder after throwing an e-cigarette at a hotel for asylum seekers in Manchester. Lynden Parker, 26, has been jailed for 26 months after pleading guilty to violent disorder following trouble at the hotel in Newton Heath.

During the disorder on July 31, bricks and glass bottles were thrown at the hotel and a mob of people surrounded and attacked a passing bus with ethnic minority passengers aboard, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Passing sentence Judge Patrick Field KC, told Parker: “You appear to have been motivated by deeply unpleasant, ignorant and possibly extremist racist views and such a mindset.

“By your presence as part of a mob and throwing that missile, you were encouraging and spurring on others to behave in a similar way.

“People like you who involve themselves and participate in such violence, bringing terror and disorder into this city, must expect severe consequences by way of severe custodial sentences.”

David Engleby, Paul Dryhurst and Luke Summerfield, Southport (up to two years and four months)

David Engleby, Paul Dryhurst and Luke Summerfield were all jailed for throwing missiles at police in Southport (Image: Merseyside Police)

Three men were jailed for throwing missiles at police officers outside a mosque in Southport.

David Engleby, 29, of Scarisbrick New Road, Southport, gave a thumbs up to the judge after he was jailed for two years and four months at Liverpool Crown Court for violent disorder.

Judge Denis Watson KC said: “You joined a large and aggressive mob on St Luke’s Road. You can be seen to be part of the group chanting ‘who the f*** is Allah’. You then pick up an item, a brick, throw it at police and then throw a second missile at police.”

Self-employed joiner Paul Dryhurst, 33, of Gale Road in Litherland, was sentenced to two years for violent disorder after the court heard he was recognised on footage by a police officer who had gone to school with him.

Sentencing him, the judge said: “You can be seen to pick up some item, throw it at police before seeming to smile in satisfaction then taking up a position to film the disorder.”

Luke Summerfield, 33, of Mansfield Street in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, was jailed for two years and two months after he was seen on footage among the crowd, picking up an item and throwing it towards police.

Eve Salter, defending, said video also showed him trying to stop other members of the crowd from kicking a journalist who was on the floor.

Stuart Randall and William Riley, Hull (three years and one year and six months)

Stuart Randall and William Riley were involved in the riots in Hull (Image: Humberside Police)

Two men have been locked up for violent disorder that unfolded in Hull on August 3.

Father-of-three Stuart Randall took a sledgehammer to cars at a garage belonging to a foreign national while the terrified owner cowered inside with his family. The 55-year-old has been jailed for three years after pleading guilty to two counts of racially aggravated criminal damage, violent disorder, criminal damage to two shops, burglary of the O2 store and Lush, and possession of cannabis.

Hull Crown Court heard how Randall danced in front of a police line while waving a riot shield and smashed the front windows of two shops during a day of “racist, hate-fuelled mob violence” in the city. He also smashed the glass of a BMW that had contained three Romanian men who were forced out of their vehicle by an angry mob, although the court heard he was not directly involved in that incident.

Footage played in court showed Randall picking up a bar stool and using it to smash the front of a Specsavers shop, before doing the same with a fire extinguisher at Holland & Barrett. He was also seen on CCTV looting Lush and the O2 store.

William Riley, 64, punched a police officer in the jaw and handed out eggs for people to throw. He has been jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker.

The court heard he was prominent at the front of a group who were confronting a police line, acting aggressively and throwing missiles. He went on to punch an officer to the side of the jaw as he was trying to detain him.

The court heard the conviction was “a massive fall from grace” for Riley, who is involved with veterans’ charities who had attended the city centre that day to lay a wreath for the victims of the Southport stabbing.

Graham Brookes, Manchester (one year and eight months)

Graham Brookes, 42, was caught on camera throwing a pint of cider towards police (Image: GMP)

A family man who has never been in trouble with police before was locked up for 20 months for violent disorder amid mob violence in Manchester. A “legion of testimonials” praising Graham Brookes, 42, was handed to Judge Patrick Field KC, passing sentence on the defendant at Manchester Crown Court.

Brookes was caught on camera throwing a pint of cider towards police before later aiming a kick at one officer during widespread disorder in Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester city centre on August 3.

Judge Field asked Brookes’ barrister: “How is it that a man with his background and character, a family man with a good work record, should behave the way I have witnessed? Like a hooligan? A man about who so many good things have been and could be said, could find himself involved in this sort of brutish, nasty, public violence. It’s a question, I suppose, there’s no reasonable answer to.”

Tim Storey KC, defending, replied: “It is the conundrum at the heart of the whole case for Graham Brookes. His life is characterised by stability. Community minded. Graham Brookes is not a racist man.”

Ethan Miles, Blackpool (two years and six months)

Ethan Miles, 21, was jailed for 30 months for violent disorder in Blackpool (Image: Lancashire Constabulary)

A man who threw objects at crowds of people during a violent protest in Blackpool has been jailed for 30 months. Ethan Miles, 21, of Haig Road, hurled chairs, bottles, cans and other objects towards the crowds – which included police officers – during disorder in the town on August 3.

Lancashire Police said Miles, who was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty to violent disorder, also removed the wing mirror of a police van before throwing it at the vehicle, which had officers inside.

Assistant Chief Constable Karen Edwards said Miles “acted without care towards those around him, choosing to be violent and cause disorder in the town”.

David Jordan, Tamworth (two years and four months)

David Jordan took part in a protest outside the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Tamworth (Image: Staffordshire Police)

David Jordan was jailed for 28 months after throwing a missile and shouting racist remarks during a protest in Tamworth. The 59-year-old was charged with violent disorder after video footage showed him throwing an object towards a line of police in front of the Holiday Inn Express hotel in the Staffordshire town, where migrants were being housed, on August 4.

The defendant, of Tamworth Road, could also be heard shouting “f****** paedos” towards the hotel and telling police officers to “f*** off”.

Sentencing him at Stafford Crown Court, Judge John Edwards told Jordan: “You rightly hung your head in shame as we watched the video. I have looked with care at the footage, you are front and centre of this baying mob for an hour-and-a-half.”

Liam Gray, Rotherham (three years)

Liam Gray, 20, pleaded guilty to violent disorder (Image: South Yorkshire Police)

A 20-year-old man was caught on video repeatedly charging at a line of police with riot shields outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham. Manufacturing engineer Liam Gray was arrested following rioting outside the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers on August 4.

Gray, of Randerson Drive, Kilnhurst, South Yorkshire, was filmed at the front of a large mob charging at least three times at the officers and trying to grab their shields. He was also filmed among the crowd outside the hotel at a number of different points during the afternoon as police attempted to disperse them.

Sentencing him to three years in jail, Recorder of Sheffield Judge Jeremy Richardson KC said: “You have brought shame on yourself. You have brought shame on your mother and father. You have brought shame on the town in which you live.”

Ed Moss, defending, said: “He’s made the biggest error of the 20 years he’s been on this planet and he’s now going to pay the price.” Mr Moss said his client wanted to make it clear “there isn’t racist bone in his body”, to which the judge responded: “If that’s true, what on earth was he doing?”

Bradley McCarthy, Bristol (one year and eight months)

Bradley McCarthy was involved in clashes with counter-protesters and police (Image: Avon and Somerset Constabulary)

Bradley McCarthy shouted in a police dog’s face during rioting in Bristol and called opponents “p*** c****”. The 34-year-old has been jailed for 20 months after joining an anti-immigration march on August 3.

A court heard how McCarthy was involved in clashes with counter-protesters and police in Castle Park and on Bristol Bridge. McCarthy was caught on video “threatening” opponents and shouting at the police, including at a police dog. Emily Evans, prosecuting, said the defendant played a “prominent role” in the incident.

Bristol Crown Court heard McCarthy was arrested for breach of the peace and later let go by officers but remained in the area. “Instead of taking that as a sign to go home, he can later be seen shouting at police officers and also shouting in a police dog’s face,” Ms Evans told the court.

At a previous hearing McCarthy, of Knowle, Bristol, admitted violent disorder. The dad-of-three has convictions for violence, weapons offences and public order but had not been in trouble for several years.

Robyn Rowlands, defending, said McCarthy had recently tried to help a person at the roadside who was dying after trying to take their own life, which had an “exceptional effect” on his mental health.

Alfie Conway, Rotherham (two years and three months)

Alfie Conway, 19, pleaded guilty to violent disorder (Image: South Yorkshire Police)

A 19-year-old man threw missiles at police protecting a hotel housing asylum seekers. Apprentice bricklayer Alfie Conway was jailed for two years and three months at Sheffield Crown Court after admitting violent disorder.

Conway, of Park Avenue, South Kirby, was arrested after one officer standing behind a riot shield outside the Holiday Inn Express, in Manvers, near Rotherham, recognised him and shouted that he would be going to prison.

Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, heard how the defendant had a troubled past but had worked hard to secure an apprenticeship.

The judge said: “What on earth possessed him to truly throw all of that away to hurl whatever it was at police officers – one of whom knew exactly who he was?”

Judge Richardson told Conway: “You have been exceptionally foolish”, and expressed his sympathy for Conway’s grandparents, who were watching from the public gallery.

Craig Timbrell, Bristol (two years and six months)

Craig Timbrell was jailed for two-and-a-half years at Bristol Crown Court (Image: Avon and Somerset Constabulary)

A single father who took part in violent clashes with the police during an anti-immigration protest in Bristol has been jailed for two-and-a-half years. Craig Timbrell, 38, threw concrete blocks, bricks and bottles at the police near to a hotel used to house asylum seekers.

Bristol Crown Court heard Timbrell attended the demonstration in Bristol city centre on August 3. Meabh McGee, prosecuting, said Timbrell was filmed throwing objects at the police during clashes near the Mercure Hotel in the Redcliffe area of the city.

She said: “There was targeting of locations known to accommodate asylum seekers and refugees. The situation escalated to the point where there was significant disorder and violence used towards officers, property and opposing groups.”

The court heard he has convictions for violence, public order offences and knife crime, but had not been in trouble since 2015.

Emily Evans, defending Timbrell, of Hartcliffe, Bristol, said: “He couldn’t really explain it (why he threw missiles at the police) other than to say his mental health was at a decline at that point in time.”

She said he had recently stopped caring for his children due to his declining mental health and had looked after them following the death of his partner from cancer. She added: “He very much wants to have the children back in his care. That of course is jeopardised by the way he behaved on August 3.”

Passing sentence, Judge Julian Lambert told Timbrell: “This was no peaceful protest and was never going to be so. It was a violent, ignorant, drink fuelled defiance of the law. The violence that I saw later from you was intense and shocking. It was also a potential catalyst for yet worse violence.”

Lee Crisp, Rotherham (three years and four months)

Lee Crisp, 42, pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Sheffield Crown Court (Image: South Yorkshire Police)

Lee Crisp shouted abuse at police guarding a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham and cheered as others threw missiles at officers. The 42-year-old has been jailed for three years and four months.

Sheffield Crown Court heard how Crisp, of Mount Road, Grimethorpe, Barnsley, was even abusing police after his arrest outside the Holiday Inn Express, telling one officer: “You’re protecting the bastards who are raping our kids.”

Stephanie Hollis, prosecuting, said the defendant shouted at one officer: “Take your f****** uniform off, I’ll knock the f*** out of you” and “you f****** horrible little c***”. And he shouted at someone recording the violence: “Sex offending bastards. BBC bastards”.

Ms Hollis said factory worker Crisp celebrated as the group he was with threw missiles at the officers.

When Crisp appeared at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court earlier this month, his solicitor told a district judge that his client was a victim of mistaken identity as he took his elderly mother for a Sunday lunch in the pub next to the hotel. But Crisp did not maintain this defence when he appeared at crown court this week.

Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, said the “high octane” abuse dished out by Crisp encouraged the crowd, adding: “You were leading the way in all of this, in four separate incidents”.

Joel Bishop, Hartlepool (one year and six months)

Joel Bishop threw rocks and a plank of wood during widespread disorder in Hartlepool (Image: Cleveland Police)

Ex-soldier Joel Bishop threw stones at the police during widespread disorder in Hartlepool. He was identified later from the T-shirt he was wearing which had his name on the back, a court heard.

Bishop, a qualified tank driver who served with the Royal Logistic Corps, admitted a charge of violent disorder and two counts of possessing offensive weapons, namely rocks and a plank of wood. Video footage shown in court showed the father-of-two joining in attacks on police officers in riot gear, three times throwing stones or a plank at them and referring to them as “black c****”. The prosecution accepted this was not a racist comment, but an insult directed at police.

Judge Francis Laird KC, at Teesside Crown Court, sentenced the 27-year-old to 18 months in prison, having accepted his genuine remorse and that the hard-working “family man” had an “exemplary” Army record.

Bishop, of Tweed Walk, Hartlepool, has no previous convictions or convictions and acted completely out of character that night, said Rod Hunt, defending. The defendant joined the Army at 18, boxed for his regiment, took part in winter combat exercises, and had no disciplinary issues during his five years in uniform.

Passing sentence, Judge Laird said Bishop’s behaviour that night was “disgraceful”. He told him: “Joel Bishop, you chose to take part in an organised and large scale act of public disorder. In that disorder, police officers were attacked and there was significant damage to property.”

Bishop’s partner and mother wept in the public gallery as he was jailed for 18 months. The judge reduced that from 27 months on account of his earlier guilty plea.

David Chadwick, Rotherham (two years and eight months)

David Chadwick, 36, was jailed for two years and eight months (Image: South Yorkshire Police)

A 36-year-old man who threw wood at police guarding a hotel in Rotherham has been jailed for two years and eight months. David Chadwick, of Furlong Road, Barnsley, was part of a “violent mob” who attacked a “vastly outnumbered” group of police officers who were pinned to the wall of the Holiday Inn Express, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC told Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday.

The judge heard how Chadwick was also present during an incident in which a police van was violently rocked, with officers and a dog inside. The court heard how Chadwick was filmed twice pouring the contents of a can through the van window onto the police driver, who was trying to move out of danger.

Judge Richardson said: “Each and every one of them (the police) were doing their duty and it must have been very frightening for them.”

Chadwick said in a letter to the court: “I have let myself down, I have let my family-and-friends down, and I’ve let my whole community down.”

Daniel Stewart and Andrew Hook, Blackpool (two years and three months)

Andrew Hook (left) and Daniel Stewart (right) took part in violent disorder in Blackpool (Image: Lancashire Police)

Two men were jailed for 27 months each after taking part in violent disorder in Blackpool on August 3. Daniel Stewart, 28, of Ashton Road, and Andrew Hook, 32, of Coronation Street, were sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday.

Stewart had been charged with violent disorder and assault by beating after covering his face before shouting at police officers, who he also threw a can towards and pushed. He later assaulted a security guard at a shopping centre, the Lancashire Police said.

Hook had been charged with violent disorder and assault occasioning actual bodily harm after kicking and punching a security guard during disorder in the town.

Assistant Chief Constable Karen Edwards said: “Hook and Stewart chose to have a detrimental impact on the law-abiding citizens of our Lancashire communities. They were violent towards my officers, and members of the public. Their behaviour was disgraceful and will absolutely not be tolerated in Lancashire.”

Jake Lowther, Southport (one year and six months)

Jake Lowther, 20, will spend his jail term in a young offenders institute (Image: Merseyside Police)

A 20-year-old man who threw stones at police during disorder in Southport has been sentenced to 18 months in a young offenders’ institute. Jake Lowther, of Abrams Fold, Banks, nodded to his parents as his mother called “love you” after he was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday.

Judge Neil Flewitt KC said Lowther was seen on footage as part of the crowd, gesticulating towards officers while others threw missiles. He said at one point Lowther picked up two pieces of brick or stone from a broken wall and threw them towards police, with one hitting a riot shield.

Stuart Mills, defending, said Lowther had ADHD and had been “swept up in the moment”. The judge said: “There’s no evidence your condition in anyway reduces your culpability.”

Peter Beard, Rotherham (two years and six months)

Peter Beard, 43, was filmed by body-worn cameras at the front of a mob (Image: South Yorkshire Police)

A former solider who undertook tours of duty in Kosovo, Bosnia and Northern Ireland has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after admitting pushing aggressively at a line of police with riot shields as they tried to protect a hotel housing asylum seekers.

Father-of-three Peter Beard, 43, of Becknoll Road, Brampton Bierlow, Rotherham, was filmed by body-worn cameras at the front of a mob confronting officers outside the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers on August 4.

The court heard how Beard’s aggression toward the officers came at a critical time in the rioting after the hotel had been breached, attempts had been made to set fire to the building and outnumbered police were trying to disperse hundreds of people.

Judge Jeremy Richardson KC heard how Beard served in the Royal Green Jackets between 1998 and 2003, and the judge said he was “astonished” that the defendant had become involved as he had been “on the receiving end” of public order incidents as a peacekeeper.

Luke Moran and Nicholas Sinclair, Southport (up to three years)

Undated handout photo issued by Merseyside Police of father-of-three Luke Moran, 38, who was sentenced to three years after trying to smash a police van window. Issue date: Wednesday August 21, 2024. PA Photo.

A father-of-three who left a police officer fearing for his life as he tried to smash a van window has been jailed for three years. Liverpool Crown Court heard Luke Moran, 38, had lost his job with a roofing firm after his image was published following violence which broke out in Southport on July 30.

Rebecca Smith, prosecuting, said Moran was seen on footage with a large piece of concrete in his hands, smashing the driver’s side window of a police vehicle with an officer inside.

Judge Neil Flewitt KC told the court: “This is as bad a case as I have seen so far.”

The court was played bodyworn footage from Pc James Hayes in which Moran was holding a chunk of masonry, which he hit the vehicle with three times.

Judge Flewitt said: “Unsurprisingly, at that stage Pc Hayes feared for his life, believing he might be pulled from the carrier and attacked.”

In the footage, the constable could be heard telling colleagues over his radio: “I’m going to have to bail, my window’s about to go through.”

Nicholas Sinclair, 38, was seen in footage throwing bricks at officers (Image: Merseyside Police)

Moran’s friend and co-defendant Nicholas Sinclair, of Bury Road, Birkdale, was jailed for two years and four months after admitting violent disorder. The 38-year-old, a manager at a scaffolding firm, was seen in footage from the disorder on July 30 shouting towards police and throwing bricks.

Simon Christie, defending both Sinclair Moran, said they had been “swept up in an incident they neither understood or took the time to consider”.

Daniel Carrigan, Southport (two years and eight months)

Daniel Carrigan, 41, was jailed for two years and eight months (Image: Merseyside Police)

Cocaine addict Daniel Carrigan was put behind bars for two years and eight months after admitting violent disorder and criminal damage in Southport.

The 41-year-old, of Preston Grove, Liverpool, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court, where footage was played which showed him throwing items at a police van and kicking the side of the vehicle.

Charles Lander, defending, said Carrigan had taken cocaine on the day of the incident and said his addiction to the drug was “out of control”. He added: “He didn’t go there to cause violence, he got carried away with the mob.”

The court heard he had been convicted of a racially aggravated common assault in 2016 after telling a traffic warden he should “return back to his own country”.

Thomas Whitehead, Southport (one year and eight months)

Thomas Whitehead, 53, was arrested on a plane at Manchester Airport (Image: Merseyside Police)

Thomas Whitehead was arrested on a plane at Manchester Airport after taking part in a protest in Southport and has now been jailed for one year and eight months for violent disorder.

The 53-year-old was part of a large group which gathered outside a mosque in the Merseyside town on July 30, Liverpool Crown Court heard. Rebecca Smith, prosecuting, said his picture was circulated and he was arrested on August 13 at Manchester Airport on board a plane.

The gardener, of Pool Street, Southport, told police he had been to the pub when he noticed a large group gathering and went to see what was happening, but he accepted throwing items.

Paul Wood, defending, said Whitehead had three daughters and was a “family man”.

Declan Dixon, Hartlepool (one year and six months)

(Image: PA)

A 22-year-old electrician who threw a brick at police during disorder in Hartlepool was jailed for 18 months. Declan Dixon, of Salisbury Avenue, Hindley, was seen on video footage picking up a missile and throwing it at police in riot gear on the night of July 31 after a protest grew violent.

When he was arrested 11 days later, sitting in a BMW, he was found to be in possession of a small amount of cocaine, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said Dixon was working on Teesside at the time and he told police he was present that night “out of curiosity”.

He admitted violent disorder and possessing cocaine and Judge Francis Laird KC jailed him for 18 months, saying: “Your behaviour, and the behaviour of others around you, was disgraceful.”

Gary Wood, defending, said Dixon was immature, had no previous convictions and had now lost his £1,600-a-month apprenticeship. The judge accepted the defendant came from a “loving family” and added: “It is very difficult to understand how you came to be involved with a violent mob.”

Perrie Fisher, Aldershot (two years and five months)

Perrie Fisher, 29, was seen riding a bike wearing an England flag (Image: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police)

A 29-year-old man was seen riding a children’s scooter before throwing it at a hotel housing asylum seekers and telling a police officer to f*** off. Scaffolder Perrie Fisher was also seen riding a bike wearing an England flag before throwing it in a skip, and throwing bicycle wheels at the walls of Potters International Hotel as part of a crowd of around 200 people in Aldershot on July 31.

The Farnham man was arrested at Gatwick airport on return from his Dubai holiday on August 19 after he did not appear at magistrates’ court following the incident. He was brought before Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to violent disorder and a bail act offence.

Winchester Crown Court later heard how 85 families were living in the hotel and there were people inside the accommodation in “great fear” of what was going to happen to them. Around £1,900 worth of damage was also caused from the disorder after a small group of protesters got into the hotel car park at around 6.40pm and more and more joined them.

Judge Nigel Lickley KC described how Fisher threw the children’s scooter “with force” at the hotel and there was a loud bang and cheering from the crowd as a result. The bikes had been provided for the hotel residents to use, the court heard.

Prosecutor Tim Devlin said a large crowd started shouting ‘illegals out,’ ‘we want our community back’ and ‘f*** off’. He added the police were “massively outnumbered” and the situation was “rapidly getting out of hand”.

In mitigation the court heard the act was “out of character” for the new dad who felt remorse for what he had done. Sentencing Fisher, Judge Lickley said the occupants of the hotel were the “real target” of Fisher’s actions which were fuelled by hostility over race and religion.

Fisher was sentenced to 29 months’ imprisonment for both offences. He will be released from prison after serving half of his sentence and will spend the rest on licence, the judge said.

Jordan Murray, David Buckle and Jermaine Glover, Hull (up to three years)

(Left to right) Jordan Murray, David Buckle and Jermaine Glover were involved in riots in Hull (Image: Humberside Police)

Three men were jailed for offences including arson and violent disorder after rioting in Hull.

Jordan Murray, 26, of Grasby Road, Hull, who looted a Greggs outlet and threw a metal bench at police was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to violent disorder, possession of class B drugs and two counts of burglary.

Hull Crown Court heard he played a “significant role in the large-scale disorder” and was at the front of a group confronting police in the city centre on August 3 and “behaving in an aggressive manner towards officers throughout”.

David Buckle, 39, of Southgate Way, Hull, was part of a crowd that pursued a BMW carrying three Romanian men, although the court heard he was not one of the mob that forced them out of the vehicle. Buckle was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to violent disorder.

The court heard he was prominent in a group of people confronting a protective police line outside a hotel known to house asylum seekers, with prosecutor Jeremy Evans saying he was “aggressive and abusive, throwing missiles at officers”.

Jermaine Glover, 23, of Cranswick Grove, Hull, who took part in an arson attack at a garage owned by a foreign national, was jailed for two years after admitting violent disorder and arson. The court heard he barged into a police line and “behaved in an aggressive manner towards officers, shouting, gesturing, helping others push bins at officers and throwing missiles”.

Tommy Callaghan, Southport (two years and two months)

Tommy Callaghan, 32, was jailed for two years and two months (Image: Merseyside Police)

A gas engineer who joined in racist chants and threw objects at police in Southport has been jailed for two years and two months. Tommy Callaghan, 32, of Platt Bridge, Wigan, appeared via videolink from HMP Altcourse at Liverpool Crown Court, where footage was played showing him wearing a fluorescent yellow T-shirt and sunglasses in a “large and aggressive mob” on July 30.

Judge Denis Watson KC said: “You were one of those who was chanting ‘who the f*** is Allah’, with your left arm and fist raised as you chanted and gesticulated in rhythm. You were then part of the mob who surged forward at the police line. Then you picked up part of a brick, threw it at police, then picked up a second missile even before the first had landed.”

Peter White, defending, said Callaghan had put his business, through which he employed three people, and the mortgaged home he shared with his partner and nine-month-old daughter at risk. He said Callaghan had travelled to Southport, about 25 miles from his home, to attend a vigil for the victims of the stabbing in the town.

He did not have a reason for why he had consumed alcohol once there and said he had no racially or religiously prejudiced beliefs but had “gone along with the mob”.

James Martin, Scarborough (two years and two months)

James Martin, 18, pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated harassment based on race or religion, possessing an article with the intent to cause property damage, and obstructing or resisting a constable in the execution of their duty (Image: North Yorkshire Police)

A teenager who marched outside an Islamic centre with firelighters in his pocket while waving an England flag has been jailed for two years and two months. A court heard James Martin, 18, was “going to lose everything because of one night of stupid behaviour” on August 8 in Scarborough.

Martin was in a group of four who marched outside the Islamic centre on Roscoe Street while people were inside praying just after 10pm. York Crown Court heard he had been swearing and shouted words to the effect of “what a stupid time to pray, have they got nothing better to be doing?” and “let’s be proud of our flag”.

When he was arrested to prevent a breach of the peace, police found firelighters in his pocket. Martin, who has no previous convictions, will lose an apprenticeship in bricklaying as a result, the court heard.

Peter Lynch, Rotherham (two years and eight months)

Peter Lynch
Peter Lynch (Image: PA)

A 61-year-old grandfather who was filmed repeatedly screaming abuse at riot police who were trying to push him back from a hotel housing asylum seekers has been jailed for two years and eight months.

Peter Lynch was at the front of a mob which gathered outside the Manvers hotel on August 4, shouting “scum” and “child killers” at police, Sheffield Crown Court heard on Thursday. He was pictured holding a placard asserting the corruption of MPs, judges, the media and the police.

But body-worn camera footage was shown to the court of him screaming “you are protecting people who are killing our kids and raping them” at police with riot shields and “scum”.

Lynch – who suffers from diabetes, thyroid issues, angina and has recently had a heart attack – was then filmed repeatedly challenging officers as they tried to push him back with shields, screaming “protect my children” repeatedly and yelling: “We are on the streets now to protect our kids”.

Lynch, of Burman Road, Wath-upon-Dearne, pleaded guilty to violent disorder at an earlier hearing.

Matthew Putson, Middlesbrough (two years and eight months)

Matthew Putson, 27, was one of the “main instigators” of violence during widespread disorder in Middlesbrough, a court heard (Image: Cleveland Police)

A 27-year-old was one of the “main instigators” of violence during widespread disorder in Middlesbrough, Teesside Crown Court heard. Matthew Putson, of Palmer Street, was with a group who were making racial slurs before he kicked a police officer but he was dragged away by others before he could be arrested during trouble in the town on August 4.

With his face disguised, he was later seen to have climbed up some traffic lights before he picked up bottles, bricks and stones and threw them at police over a period of around an hour.

Putson admitted violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker and Judge Francis Laird KC jailed him for 32 months, saying: “The public are rightfully outraged by this behaviour on our streets.”

Michael Campbell, Hull (one year and eight months)

Michael Campbell, 56, admitted violent disorder in Hull city centre on August 3 (Image: Humberside Police)

A grandfather was jailed for 20 months after he used a bicycle to fend off a police dog during a “hate-fuelled” riot. Michael Campbell, 56, was only in Hull city centre to buy himself a suit for a funeral when he became involved with the violence on August 3, Kingston-Upon-Hull Crown Court heard.

The ship loading supervisor, of Hull, used his bike as a “makeshift cordon to deflect police officers” and “fend off a police dog”, before the animal bit him on the leg, the court was told.

During the 12 hours of “mob violence”, 11 police officers were injured and huge financial damage was caused when rioters gathered outside the Royal Hotel, Judge John Thackray KC said.

Sentencing Campbell, the judge described him as a “family man” whose behaviour had been “out of character”.

Luke and Paul Sissons, Rotherham (three years)

Paul Sissons
Paul Sissons was part of a group that violently rocked a police van (Image: PA)

Two brothers who were at the forefront of rioting outside a Rotherham hotel housing more than 200 asylum seekers have each been jailed for three years at Sheffield Crown Court. Luke and Paul Sissons were involved in a range of violent incidents at the Holiday Inn Express on August 4, including an attack on a police dog van and violent confrontations with riot officers.

Paul Sissons – who is a tunnelling team leader on the HS2 project – was filmed over a period of nearly four hours, first in a mob shouting at police and chanting “Tommy Robinson”. Sissons, of Two Gates Way, Barnsley, was then captured as part of a group that violently rocked a police van with officers and a dog inside, and was later seen throwing missiles at a group of cornered officers.

Body-worn camera footage was also shown to the court on Friday of the 37-year-old angrily kicking and pushing at riot shields as officers tried to push the crowd back.

Luke Sissons
Luke Sissons has been jailed for three years alongside his brother (Image: PA)

His brother Luke Sissons, 34, of The Green View, Shafton, Barnsley, was also part of the mob rocking the van and footage was shown of him at the front of group goading officers with riot shields who were pinned against the hotel wall.

Daniel Mennell, Jackie Miller and Jarrod Farrah, Hull (up to two years and three months)

(Left to right) Daniel Mennell, Jackie Miller and Jarrod Farrah took part in disorder in Hull (Image: Humberside Police)

Three people who took part in disorder in Hull earlier this month have been jailed.

Daniel Mennell, 36, was handed a 27-month jail term at Kingston-Upon-Hull Crown Court after he threw missiles at police. He was also seen taking a selfie with a stolen police riot shield during the violence on August 3.

The drunk labourer, who was prominent at the front of the riot, pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

“Hostile” Jackie Miller, 57, was jailed for eight months for a racially aggravated public order offence after she unleashed a “diatribe towards police officers”. In the presence of her 15-year-old daughter, Miller told officers: “A P*** lad killed two, three girls and yet you’re having a go at us. They don’t look after their own.”

Judge John Thackray KC told Miller she had used “truly disgraceful words”.

Jarrod Farrah, 32, was jailed for two years and made the subject of a criminal behaviour order for violent disorder after he behaved aggressively towards police by “lunging” at them. He told his family in the public gallery “love you all” as he was led out of the dock to start his sentence.

Judge Thackray said it had been “depressing and horrifying” to watch footage of the disorder.

Rory Allington-Mott, Southport (three years and three months)

Rory Allington-Mott
Rory Allington-Mott, 34, smiled as he took part in the unrest in Southport (Image: PA)

A man who threw objects including bricks and a wheelie bin at police during disorder has been jailed for three years and three months. Rory Allington-Mott, 34, of Newport in Shropshire, was shown in footage released by police appearing to smile as he took part in the unrest in Southport on July 30.

He was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to violent disorder, a spokesman for Merseyside Police said. In the video, he was seen to throw bricks, a wheelie bin, a plastic box and what appeared to be a picture frame towards police vans and officers.

A hearing at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court earlier this week was told Allington-Mott had been convicted in April last year of religiously or racially aggravated criminal damage and served 24 weeks after a suspended sentence was activated.

Louis McGrother, Middlesborough (one year and eight months)

Louis McGrother, 22, admitted violent disorder (Image: Cleveland Police)

A “well-balanced young man” who kicked out at a police officer and set fire to a wheelie bin during widespread disorder in Middlesbrough has been jailed for 20 months. Louis McGrother, 22, of South View Terrace, Middlesbrough, was filmed joining in attacks on police in the town on August 4, Teesside Crown Court heard.

When footage of his offending was published by the media, he handed himself in to police, bringing with him the clothes he wore that day, said Rachel Masters, prosecuting.

Joel Wootten, defending, said McGrother went along to the protest at the Cenotaph intending only to join a peaceful protest.

McGrother admitted a charge of violent disorder and Judge Francis Laird KC jailed him for 20 months. The judge said he had read references from his employer, partner and mother which described “a well-balanced young man who takes his family responsibilities seriously, and who has a good work ethic”.

David Hann, Sunderland (eight months)

David Hann, 58, admitted causing racially aggravated fear of violence (Image: Northumbria Police)

A former member of the English Defence League (EDL) who shouted “dirty Muslims” outside a mosque, along with other abuse, during widespread disorder in Sunderland has been jailed for eight months.

David Hann, 58, of Ryhope Street South, Sunderland, admitted causing racially aggravated fear of violence and was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court for his part in the trouble on August 2.

Judge Paul Sloan KC, sentencing, said Hann, was present at various locations that night and was seen gesticulating towards police officers and hurling racist abuse outside a mosque.

The judge accepted the unemployed defendant had learning difficulties, suffered from depression, did not have contact with his children and was no longer a member of the EDL. But Hann continued to hold racist and Islamophobic views, the judge said.

Jack Fowler, Sunderland (two years)

Jack Fowler, 24, admitted violent disorder and was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court (Image: Northumbria Police)

A man holding a flag of St George who confronted police during widespread disorder in Sunderland has been jailed for two years. Jack Fowler, 24, of Northbourne Street, Newcastle, admitted violent disorder and was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court for his part in the trouble on August 2.

Judge Paul Sloan KC, sentencing, said Fowler, who was drunk and masked that night, was seen at one point running away when police horses were used to disperse the “mob”.

At another location, he beckoned others forward towards police lines, and soon after beer kegs were thrown at officers, the judge said. The court heard that Fowler said: “This is going to be all summer, everywhere.”

The judge sentenced the unemployed defendant to two years in jail, having heard he was in a relationship and has a baby daughter.



Manchester Evening News

Rory Allington-Mott winked as he was led down to the cells

A racist thug smirked and shook his head as a judge scorned him for the “repulsive” views that saw him target a mosque with bricks during a riot.

Liverpool Crown Court was told today, Friday, that Rory Allington-Mott played a “leading role” during the violent disorder on both Sussex Road and St Luke’s Road on July 30 this year.

Martyn Walsh, prosecuting, told the court the 34-year-old, of High Street in Southport, was part of a violent mob that targeted a mosque chanting “who the f*** is Allah” just an hour after a peaceful vigil was held in memory of three young girls killed in a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party the previous day.

A compilation of videos taken from both CCTV and body-worn camera footage showed Allington-Mott hurling “at least 20 bricks” towards police officers, police vehicles and the local mosque. He also picked up a wheelie bin and a recycling bin and again hurled them at a line of police officers, who did not have protective clothing on, as other missiles from the thousand-strong crowd rained down on them.

The court heard Allington-Mott, who had travelled around two hours to Southport, also pushed over a wall at the mosque which “provided ammunition” to other rioters. Addressing the racist thug during his sentencing remarks, Judge Denis Watson KC said: “You shake your head, but that underlines your entrenched racist views which are repulsive to right-minded people in this country.”

The court heard Allington-Mott has a litany of previous convictions dating back to 2007. These included convictions for possession of an offensive weapon, harassment, drug driving, possession of cannabis, assaulting a police officer and racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage.

The court heard Allington-Mott attended the Lion Hotel in Shrewsbury town centre – which was housing asylum seekers at the time – on April 20 last year. The thug approached staff and asked if they were accommodating asylum seekers before he smashed 21 windows with a hammer before making off from the scene.

He was handed a suspended sentence for the racist attack, but the court heard his strong opinions regarding race made his unpaid workplace a “toxic” place. A note from his workplace supervisor read out in court drew attention to comments Allington-Mott made about people of other races, including: “They come raping my country and my women” before he added: “I have to blow the f****** up.”

The court heard he triggered his suspended sentence in January of this year when he failed to provide a specimen to police. He was released from prison on April 8 this year and his licence expired on July 8.

Allington-Mott was arrested on August 16 after he was identified by officers and interviewed the next day. He provided a no comment response to every question asked of him.

Allington-Mott originally appeared before Liverpool Magistrates’ Court earlier this week but did not enter a plea. However, he entered a guilty plea during the plea and trial preparation hearing today at the higher court and the judge moved ahead and sentenced him straight away.

In mitigation, Zahra Baqri, defending, told the court: “I do not seek to minimise the seriousness of the incident. There is little I can say in mitigation. The strongest point is his entry of a guilty plea. He wanted to plead guilty at the lower court but was advised to wait for footage.”

Ms Baqri told the court her client “clearly requires rehabilitation and education” in respect of his strong racist views. She added: “He tells me he understands that his behaviour will be regarded as disgusting and disgraceful by normal people. That shows a slight glint of progress.”

She added her client suffered with delusional thoughts and paranoia but had never sought medical advice. Instead, she said, he had self-medicated with recreational drugs. She added he also suffered from anxiety and depression.

The court heard Allington-Mott is a trained brick-layer and had two children, aged seven and eight, with his former partner. Sentencing, Judge Watson told the defendant he was part of a “mob engaged in a violent confrontation that lasted for several hours”. He added: “This spouted other incidents in Liverpool and across the country.”

Judge Watson told the defendant, who wore a grey t-shirt and sported short, fair hair, that an individual’s actions during violent disorder are capable of encouraging others to act in a similar way. However, the judge told him: “You weren’t sucked in because it was your purpose to be there to engage in the violence.”

The judge sentenced Allington-Mott to three years and three months in prison. As Allington-Mott was led down to the cells, he winked towards the press bench.

Liverpool Echo

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.”

Liverpool Echo

A father-of-three who left a police officer fearing for their life as he tried to smash a van window has been jailed for three years.

Luke Moran, from Birkdale, was one of five people sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday for their part in violent disorder in Southport.

Describing the 38-year-old’s attack with a lump of concrete, a judge said it was “as bad a case as I have seen so far”.

The latest group of defendants to appear in court over the recent disorder that swept across the country also included men accused or convicted of unrest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham, south Yorkshire.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, at least 497 people have so far been charged in relation to the weeks-long unrest that broke out in England and Northern Ireland following a stabbing attack in Southport that left three young girls dead and 10 others injured, including eight children.

Liverpool Crown Court was played police body camera footage showing Moran hitting the vehicle’s window three times with the piece of concrete.

Judge Neil Flewitt said that a police officer in the vehicle “feared for his life, believing he might be pulled from the carrier and attacked”.

A statement from a police officer said the men who attacked his van were “whipped into a frenzy”.

The officer’s body cam footage captured the roofer’s face as he attacked the police van. Its driver is clearly heard saying “we’re going to have to bail” as the footage ends.

The court was told the driver then escaped out of the rear of the van, covered by other officers as he fled.

Nicholas Sinclair, 38, was also sentenced to two years and four months for his involvement in the rioting.

The manager of a scaffolding firm from Birkdale admitted throwing bricks and pleaded guilty to violent disorder as a result.

Two other men were sentenced at the same time.

Daniel Carrigan, 41, of Liverpool, admitted to throwing two items at the window of the police van. He said he was struggling with cocaine addiction and had been on the drug at the time.

He was jailed for two years and eight months.

Thomas Whitehead, 53, of Southport, who worked as a gardener, was given a year and eight months for throwing an object during the violent disorder.

The court was told he “does not know what took hold of him when he threw that one missile from the back of the group”.

All the men were told they would be made to serve at least half of their sentences.

Earlier, a 20-year-old from Banks in Southport, who admitted throwing concrete during the riots, was given a prison sentence of 18 months in a young offenders’ institution.

Jake Lowther was captured on CCTV taking part in the violent disorder and was told by the judge he would spend half of his sentence in prison and half in the community.

It was accepted in sentencing that his actions were out of character and his defence conceded their client “did something extremely foolish”.

Lowther’s parents were in the public gallery and as he was taken away. His mother tried to offer comfort by saying “love you, it’s ok”.

Rotherham

Those in court on Wednesday in relation to the unrest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham included a former soldier.

Peter Beard, 43, of Brampton Bierlow, Rotherham, was jailed for two-and-a-half years after admitting to pushing aggressively on a line of officers.

The father-of-three, who undertook tours of duty in Kosovo, Bosnia and Northern Ireland, was told by Judge Jeremy Richardson KC: “Your conduct was shameful, it was disgraceful and, in many respects, astonishing.”

Passing sentence at Sheffield Crown Court, the judge heard how Beard served in the Royal Green Jackets between 1998 and 2003, and said he was surprised that he had become involved as he had been “on the receiving end” of public order incidents as a peacekeeper.

Hull

A man who charged at police officers with a metal bench is among three men who have been jailed for their part in violent unrest in Hull.

Jordan Murray, 26, of Grasby Road, Hull, admitted violent disorder and looting two shops at Hull Magistrates’ Court on 12 August. He was handed a two-year jail term on Wednesday.

David Buckle, 39, and Jermaine Glover, 23, were sentenced to three years and two years respectively for their roles.

Buckle, of Southgate Way, Hull, admitted violent disorder at Hull Magistrate’s Court on 14 August.

Glover, of Cranswick Grove, Hull, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and arson at the same court the following day.

BBC News

Three more men have been jailed for taking part in violent disorder which broke out in Southport the day after three girls were stabbed to death.

The men all admitted taking part in a disturbance close to Southport mosque the day after the stabbings.

Violence was sparked by false online rumours the suspect in the Southport attack was a Muslim.

Footage played to Liverpool Crown Court showed the men throwing missiles at police and the crowd can also be heard chanting anti-Islamic slogans.

David Engleby, 29, from Southport, was jailed for two years and four months
Self-employed joiner Paul Dryhurst, 33, from Litherland, was jailed for two years
Luke Summerfield, 33, from Aston under Lyne in Greater Manchester, was jailed for two years and two months

Through their defence barristers all three men expressed their remorse at what they had done.

The court heard Dryhurst’s parents both work for the ambulance service and are “baffled” at their son’s behaviour.

Judge Watson said: “It would be wrong and misleading to look at the actions of individuals in isolation because violence feeds on itself. Events gain a momentum of their own.”

BBC News