A 61-year-old man who waved conspiracy theory placards and screamed abuse at police outside a hotel housing asylum seekers was told he was a “disgraceful example” of a grandfather as he was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.
Peter Lynch was at the front of a mob that gathered outside the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, Rotherham, on 4 August, shouting “scum” and “child killers” at police, Sheffield crown court heard.
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 officers with riot shields.
He was also pictured holding a placard asserting the corruption of MPs, judges, the media and the police.
Asked by Judge Jeremy Richardson KC about the meaning of the placard, Ian West, defending, said: “It’s a general conspiracy theory against anyone and any form of authority. This was slightly off-topic from what was going on that day.”
Lynch, who has four children and three grandchildren, pleaded guilty to a charge of violent disorder. Richardson said him: “What a disgraceful example you are as a grandfather.”
Fifty-eight police officers, three police dogs and a police horse were injured in Rotherham as rioters broke into the hotel, which was housing 240 asylum seekers, and tried to set fire to it.
A 27-year-old described by prosecutors as one of the main instigators of violence during widespread disorder in Middlesbrough has also been jailed for two years and eight months.
Matthew Putson was with a group who were making racial slurs before he kicked a police officer. He was dragged away by others before he could be arrested during trouble in his home town on 4 August, Teesside crown court heard.
With his face disguised, Putson 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 about an hour.
Putson admitted violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker. Judge Francis Laird KC jailed him for 32 months. “The public are rightfully outraged by this behaviour on our streets,” he said.
A teenager who brought firelighters to a far-right demonstration outside an Islamic centre in Scarborough during the August riots has been sentenced to two years and two months.
James Martin, 18, will “lose everything because of one night of stupid behaviour”, his defence barrister said. He marched outside the centre on 8 August waving an England flag while people prayed inside, the court heard.
A judge at York crown court told Martin that if he had gone ahead with starting a fire “the consequences could have been fatal”.
Body-worn camera footage played in court showed police offering Martin the chance to be given a dispersal notice and leave the area or be taken to a police station, to which he replied: “Let’s do that, I’ll get tomorrow off work.”
Martin pleaded guilty to charges of racially or religiously aggravated harassment, having an article with intent to destroy or damage property and obstructing or resisting a constable in the execution of their duty.
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Sentencing him to 26 months in custody, Judge Sean Morris told Martin he had disgraced the flag he had been carrying, which “belongs to everyone in this country”.
A masked Bristol teenager was jailed for two years for throwing bricks, bottles and a beer barrel at police.
Cassius Adamson, 19, joined an anti-immigration march on 3 August and was involved in clashes with the police, including outside the Mercure hotel.
Bristol crown court heard the labourer had joined the protest after drinking two litres of spirits and taking MDMA, ketamine and cocaine earlier in the day.
Giles Nelson, defending, said the teenager had been “swept along” in the violence having had a difficult childhood with learning difficulties and that, “when he was in that corridor of violence, he became a sheep and a follower”.
“He was there goading and threw objects. He can’t hide from that fact,” Nelson said.
Adamson, of Lockleaze, Bristol, admitted violent disorder at a previous hearing.
Passing the sentence, Judge James Patrick said: “This offending had a significant community impact and brought shame on this city.”
Source: theguardian.com
