A former war hero and paramedic has been spared prison for his part in shameful scenes when protesters clashed with police at a Black Lives Matter demonstration.
Craig Hay and other Hell's Angels were among hundreds who gathered at Grey's Monument in Newcastle city centre to hold a counter-demonstration against the anti-racist group in June 2020. Several people have already been jailed for the violent disorder, which left police officers and service animals injured as bottles, cans and smoke grenades were thrown.
However, after hearing of Hay's courageous work as a medic in the Royal Marines in war-torn countries around the world and also of his work as paramedic during the Covid pandemic, a judge said he would suspend his prison sentence in the "exceptional" circumstances of his background.
