Suspected rioters continue to appear in court following mass disorder

A number of people charged with violent disorder have already pleaded guilty to their part in the widespread violence.

Following an appearance at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, a Facebook user also indicated a guilty plea to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to stir up racial hatred.

Jordan Parlour indicated he admitted posting on the social media platform between August 1 and August 5 in connection with violent disorder across the country.

His case has been sent to Leeds Crown Court for a sentencing hearing, an HMCTS spokeswoman said.

Self-employed builder Joshua Simpson became the first person to be convicted following the rioting outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham after he admitted assaulting a police officer.

Sheffield Magistrates’ Court heard how Simpson, 25, was abusive to police before he kicked a riot shield, forcing it back onto an officer’s leg.

The defendant admitted one count of assault of an emergency worker.

He was remanded in custody by deputy district judge Simon Blakebrough who asked for a pre-sentence report to be prepared before he is sentenced on August 27.

The judge said he could not rule out sending Simpson, who said he is currently homeless, to prison.

Three other men – Christopher Rodgers, 38, of Millmoor Road, Barnsley; Liam Grey, 20, of Randerson Drive, Kilnhurst, Mexborough, South Yorkshire; and Lee Crisp, 42, of Mount Road, Grimethorpe, Barnsley – denied a charge of violent disorder in connection with the same incident.

The court heard Rodgers is accused of being part of a group that was throwing missiles at police and then blocked the way as a line of officers moved forward.

He was bitten by a police dog before he was arrested, the court heard.

A 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy also charged with violent disorder, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were not required to enter a plea on Tuesday.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, a judge in Liverpool told one man he had a “real prospect of a custodial sentence” due to the “serious disorder” he had been a part of.

Dylan Carey, 26, of Castle Hill Road in Hindley, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court to violent disorder in Southport last Tuesday.

Joshua Sanderson-Kirk, prosecuting, said a police attended outside a mosque on St Luke’s Road in Southport when a “hostile” crowd of about 200 people came towards them chanting “who the f*** is Allah”.

He said: “The crowd became more angry and began surging forward. Several of the crowd were shouting ‘why are you protecting them’.”

Carey, who was identified by officers via footage on social media, kicked a police van and threw something towards it.

The defendant, who has no previous convictions, was remanded in custody to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on August 12, with District Judge Timothy Boswell saying: “Plainly, given the serious disorder Mr Carey has been a part of, there is a real prospect of an immediate custodial sentence.”

Also at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court, a 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty to violent disorder in the city centre on Saturday after he was identified from a TikTok video.

Footage played in court showed the youth among a crowd of people, becoming involved in a confrontation and taking his jacket and top off.

Mr Sanderson-Kirk said: “He picks up a paving slab and throws it at a member of the public.”

The boy, whose mother was in court, was granted bail with a condition not to enter the city centre as his case was adjourned until September 17.

In Bristol, business owner Ashley Harris, of Chipperfield Drive, Kingswood, was remanded in custody charged in connection with violent disorder in the city centre on Saturday.

During different incidents, the 36-year-old is accused of throwing punches at two counter-protesters, squaring up to police officers, encouraging crowds to move forward and throwing a can.

Harris, who has a scaffolding and roofing business, entered no plea at Bristol Magistrates’ Court and was remanded in custody to appear before the city’s crown court on September 9.

Others are expected to appear in court across the country on Tuesday.

Cleveland Police said a total of 28 people are due to appear at Teesside Magistrates’ Court charged with violent disorder and other offences following violence in Middlesbrough on Sunday.

The force said the court had set aside a remand court to deal with those appearing on Tuesday.

Amongst them was Stacy Vint, 34, who admitted a charge of violent disorder after pushing a burning wheelie bin into a row of police officers before falling to the ground and being arrested.

Some of the 28 denied offences, including Jamie Govan who allegedly swung his arms and kicked his legs out at police who “resorted to using leg restraints”, and Ashley Ferguson, 33, who is accused of damaging property with a 4ft wooden pole during unrest in Middlesbrough.

Following disorder in Sunderland, 21-year-old Bradley Makin became the fourth person to admit a charge of violent disorder, as well as possession of cocaine and heroin, a Northumbria Police spokesperson said.

Elsewhere, eight people have been charged in connection with disturbances that broke out during protests in Nottingham city centre.

Nottinghamshire Police arrested 15 people at a protest in the city’s Old Market Square on Saturday, with one woman and seven men aged between 18 and 46 now charged with a variety of crimes, including public order, weapon offences and assaulting an emergency worker.

Lancashire Police said two men and two teenagers have been charged in connection with disorder in Bolton on Sunday.

Dominic Stanbridge, 31, of Highland Drive, Buckshaw, and a 16-year-old boy have been charged with violent disorder while James Nelson, 18, of Victoria Road, Horwich, has been charged with criminal damage to property valued under £5,000 and another 16-year-old boy has been charged with being in possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

Stanbridge and Nelson have been remanded into custody ahead of an appearance at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court on Tuesday, the force added.

The widespread disorder across the country followed the fatal stabbings of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport last week.

Previously, judges condemned the recent violent scenes, with one describing violence in Belfast as “absolutely disgraceful”.

Justice minister Heidi Alexander said the Government will bring more than 500 additional prison places into use to deal with rioting, and some 6,000 specialist police officers were at the ready.

She told LBC that courts “could possibly” begin sitting “through the evening, the night, at weekends” in order to swiftly prosecute rioters.