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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Anthony France

Rioters who brought terror to UK streets named as police condemn violence

Rioters who smashed up Britain’s streets in a weekend of shame after the Southport stabbings have been named and pictured.

It came as courts began sitting through the night to process hundreds of suspects.

Right-wing disorder has now lasted for a week with unrest witnessed across England and in parts of Northern Ireland after three young girls were stabbed to death at a Taylor Swift themed dance class in Southport last Monday.

Police were injured during “sustained violence” in Plymouth on Monday, while similar trouble on the streets of Darlington saw officers pelted with bricks.

Justice minister Heidi Alexander said some 567 additional prison spaces would soon come into use to deal with rioting.

Former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson told LBC’s Nick Ferrari: “This is the ugly face of racism.

“Racism isn't confined to right or left. Most of the thugs involved in this couldn't spell right or left, let alone think politically.”

Six people have been charged in connection with riots outside a hotel in Rotherham on Sunday, which was being used to house asylum seekers.

On Monday a boy aged 14 seen letting off fireworks towards police in Liverpool city centre admitted violent disorder and was bailed ahead of his sentencing.

The teenager, whose father and uncle were in court, has no previous convictions, Liverpool Magistrates’ Court heard.

Iqbal Singh Kang, defending, said the boy had been area to catch a bus home, and added: “He did not head into the city centre with the intention of causing any kind of disturbance or adding to the disorder.

Rioters named and shamed after facing court (GMP)

“Without thinking things through, he became involved in something much more serious. It’s completely out of the blue.”

Another Liverpool case involved a balaclava-wearing thug who acted as a “lookout” when a library was ransacked.

Adam Wharton, 28, of Selwyn Street, admitted burglary at Spellow Library, Walton, after it was set on fire on Saturday night.

The father-of-one has 26 previous convictions appeared in court in a grey prison-issue tracksuit having been attacked in the cells, suffering a bloodied nose and eye injury.

Violence in parts of the UK (PA Wire)

His brother Ellis Wharton, 22, also pleaded guilty to burglary at Spellow Library but denied assaulting a policeman. He was remanded in custody.

Father-of-three Derek Drummond, 58, of Southport, who yelled “s***houses” before hitting PC Thomas Ball in the face, admitted assault and violent disorder.

Joshua Sanderson-Kirk, prosecuting, said PC Ball was deployed to a mosque on St Luke’s Road on July 30 where a group of around 300 people arrived shouting “this is our f****** country” and “scumbag bastards”.

Bricks were later thrown after a garden wall was broken down, the court was told.

Two women sat at the back of the court for the hearing, one was in tears and the other blew Drummond a kiss as he left.

William Nelson Morgan, 69, pleaded guilty at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court to violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.

The court heard he was identified in a crowd who were throwing bricks towards officers on County Road on Saturday night and had a wooden baton with him.

He resisted arrest and shouted at an officer to get off him when he was detained, the court was told.

Lloyd Killner, 35, of Lincoln, Lincolnshire, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court and pleaded not guilty to a charge of violent disorder in Liverpool city centre on Saturday.

Declan Geiran, 29, of Kelso Road, Liverpool, pleaded guilty at the same court to violent disorder and arson.

The prosecutor said on Saturday Geiran was seen on CCTV in Liverpool city centre using an “implement” to set fire to a police Ford Transit van which had been abandoned by officers.

Jimmy Bailey, 45, of Station Avenue in Little Sutton, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, pleaded not guilty to violent disorder.

John O’Malley, 43, of Cambridge Gardens in Southport, pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

Gareth Metcalfe, 44, of Cambridge Gardens in Southport, appeared at the same court charged with violent disorder in Southport last Tuesday and gave no indication of plea.

All adult defendants were remanded in custody until their next court dates of either August 29 or 30.

At Sheffield Magistrates Court, Curtis Coulson, 30, sobbed as he sat in the dock and denied affray following disorder in South Yorkshire over the weekend.

The alleged offence relates to an incident outside Sheffield City Hall on Sunday in which he is alleged to have swung a stick at a woman.

Coulson was refused bail and will go on trial at the same court in September.

Six people have appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on Monday and were all remanded in custody until their next court appearances on September 2.

Josh Kellett, 29, of Southcroft, Washington, admitted violent disorder after unrest in Sunderland on Friday.

The court heard he was seen on footage throwing a stone towards police officers while part of a large group.

He was wearing a balaclava but was identified by his “distinctive tattoos”, it was said.

Andrew Smith, 41, of High Street East, Sunderland, pleaded guilty to violent disorder following unrest in Sunderland.

Shaun Doran, 48, of Villette Road, Sunderland, pleaded not guilty to the same offence when he appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court.

Anti-racism activists gather at Guildhall square to face off far-right protesters after they announce a protest in Plymouth (Anadolu via Getty Images)

Clinton Morrison, 31, of Saint Barnabas Way, Sunderland, did not indicate a plea when he appeared in court accused of violent disorder over unrest in Sunderland.

Leanne Hodgson pleaded guilty to violent disorder after being seen on footage pushing a large bin towards a police line during unrest in Sunderland.

The 43-year-old, of Holborn Road, Sunderland, who has a “long-running alcohol problem”, denied being involved in the original march but said she had been out drinking and became involved in the disorder when the pub closed, a court heard.

John Garside, prosecuting, said “there was a large crowd cheering and joining in” as Hodgson pushed the bin at officers.

District Judge Zoe Passfield told her: “This was large-scale mob violence which resulted in fear to the public and damage to local businesses.

“There is absolutely no justification for it.”

Brian Gilby admitted taking vapes from a shop in Sunderland that was damaged during the disorder, but denied being part of the protests.

The 27-year-old, of no fixed address, pleaded not guilty to violent disorder when he appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary.

Heather Bolton, defending, said Gilby denied being part of the protests or of any violent disorder, but was out “socialising with friends” in the city centre when he saw a shop “that had already been damaged” and went inside.

Carl Holliday, 30, of Tankerville Street in Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to violent disorder during a protest in Hartlepool when he appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court, a courts spokesperson said.

Plymouth arrest on Monday night (Anadolu via Getty Images)

He was remanded in custody until sentencing at Teesside Crown Court on September 2.

Tamsyn Cerr, 21, of Firby Close in Hartlepool, did not enter a plea to the same charge and was remanded in custody until her next appearance at crown court, also on September 2.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said the courts are on “standby” to ensure “swift justice”, but two men who have been charged with offences following disorder in Bristol city centre on Saturday are not due to appear in court until September.

Adrian Croft, 45, of Holywell, Flintshire, was charged with a Section 4 public order offence and possession of a class A drug.

Damien Williams, 39, of Stockwood Crescent, Knowle, was charged with a Section 4 public order offence.

Both men have been bailed and will appear at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on September 5.

And two people charged in connection with disorder in Stoke-on-Trent on Saturday will not appear at North Staffordshire Justice Centre until August 22.

Jarrod Hollinshead, 26, of no fixed address, has been charged with using threatening or abusive words and or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, and Lee Bodman, 52, from Stoke-on-Trent, has been charged with assault by beating of an emergency worker and breaching a criminal behaviour order.

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