A man is in a serious condition after being attacked in a suspected hate crime in Belfast, police have said, as others were arrested and charged with race-related offences for the first time since the riots began in England and Northern Ireland last week.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the man, in his 50s, was in hospital after attackers allegedly stamped on his head as onlookers tried to shield him from attack.
It came on a second night of disorder in Belfast as part of riots that have also spread to towns and cities across England since three young girls were killed in a knife attack in Southport, Merseyside, last Monday.
A 28-year-old man became the first to be charged with stirring up racial hatred as police began to crack down on anyone allegedly involved in the disorder.
West Yorkshire police said the charges related to Facebook posts allegedly made by Jordan Parlour last week in connection with the riots.
Separately, two others – a 32-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman from Chester – were arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated harassment with intent to cause fear and violence.
Cheshire constabulary said the arrests were linked to social media posts encouraging members of the public to protest outside a hotel.
At least 36 people appeared in courts across England on Tuesday charged with a range of offences linked to the ongoing riots, which started in Southport a week ago before spreading to Hartlepool, Rotherham, Liverpool, Middlesbrough and other towns and cities.
At Teesside magistrates court in Middlesbrough three courtrooms were allocated to hear an expected 28 cases involving defendants aged 16 to 56, all of them local to the area.
The majority faced violent disorder charges, including Thomas Rodgers, who pleaded guilty to throwing rocks at police during Sunday’s disorder in Middlesbrough.
The court heard that after he was arrested he said: “I hope your kids get raped. I’m glad I threw rocks.” Rodgers, who said he was homeless, was remanded in custody until 27 August.
Joe Mackenzie, 28, a company director from Darlington, sobbed as he was told he would be remanded in custody for his alleged part in Sunday’s rioting.
MacKenzie is accused of being among a main body of about 20 men wearing balaclavas and face coverings who clashed with the police.
He denies using or threatening unlawful violence and will face trial before Teesside crown court on a date to be fixed.
A number of cases were later transferred to a magistrates court in South Shields. Cleveland police said they had made 62 arrests since disorder broke out in Hartlepool and Middlesbrough.
Four men and two boys, aged 16 and 17, appeared at Sheffield magistrates court over their alleged involvement in a riot outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham on Sunday.
Joshua Simpson, a self-employed builder, became the first person to be convicted after the disorder in which rioters attempted to set fire to the Holiday Inn Express.
Simpson, 25, admitted kicking a police officer’s riot shield, forcing it to hit the officer’s leg, while shouting “fucking wankers”. He will be sentenced at Sheffield magistrates court on 27 October.
Liam Grey, 20, cried as he was refused bail for allegedly attempting to take a riot shield from an officer as he pushed against the police line near the Holiday Inn Express.
He denied violent disorder.
