A man who was part of a “baying mob” who forced three terrified Romanians from their car during a riot has been jailed for six years, as the number of people sentenced for their part in far-right disorder topped 100.
David Wilkinson, 48, previously pleaded guilty to violent disorder, attempted arson and racially aggravated criminal damage after playing a “prominent role” in the violence that gripped Hull on 3 August.
Hull crown court heard Wilkinson was a member of a “baying mob” who left the driver of a BMW in fear for his life when more than 100 “angry” men descended on him and his two cousins.
The group tried to drag them from the car, before punching the driver in the head and attempting to strike him with a metal bar.
In footage of the attack, the three men in the vehicle could be seen getting out with their hands raised in a gesture of surrender before fleeing to a nearby hotel, the court heard.
At other points during the day of disorder, Wilkinson spat, threw missiles and pushed wheelie bins at a police line protecting a hotel known to house asylum seekers. He appeared to be holding nunchucks – a martial arts weapon – at one point, it was said.
Another man who was part of the group, John Honey, 25, admitted racially aggravated criminal damage of the car.
The court heard that Honey had also gone on a looting rampage wearing a distinctive England flag T-shirt. He was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder and three charges of burglary at Lush, the O2 store and Shoezone.
A sentencing hearing earlier in the week for Honey was adjourned after a prison probation officer said Honey had asked him “if he wanted his autograph, because he was famous”, which could have undermined Honey’s claim of being “genuinely remorseful”.
Another member of the group, Stephen Love, 41, was told he was “lucky not to be charged with riot” as he was jailed for 40 months.
Ministry of Justice data released on Friday morning showed that 99 people had been sentenced, 185 were awaiting sentencing, 153 were awaiting trial and 69 people had been imprisoned.
After the court proceedings on Friday afternoon, the number sentenced for their part in the riots passed 100.
More than 300 people have appeared in court since last week, according to the figures, for their part in riots that swept England after disinformation was circulated about the Southport stabbing attack on 29 July that left three girls dead.
Leanne Lucas, 35, a dance teacher injured in the Southport stabbings, has been readmitted to hospital with breathing problems, having recovered from being in a critical condition.
A Lincoln man was jailed on Friday for three years after encouraging his 98,000 followers on X to join violent protests and giving instructions on how to avoid being identified by police.
Wayne O’Rourke, 35, pleaded guilty at Lincoln crown court to stirring up racial hatred by publishing material on his social media account between 28 July and 8 August.
The court was told that, during O’Rourke’s police interviews, he claimed his posts were “edgy” and part of his “dark sense of humour” rather than racist or intended to incite violence. He wrote on the day of the Southport attack on 29 July: “Today was a terror attack by a Muslim … Heads must roll.”
Sentencing O’Rourke, Judge Catarina Sjölin Knight said: “You were not caught up in what others were doing, you were instigating it.”
Elsewhere, Paul Williams, 45, was jailed for two years and two months for being at the “forefront” of what a judge described as an “orgy of mindless destruction, violence and disorder” in Sunderland, having originally popped into the city centre to collect a takeaway.
Newcastle crown court heard how he threw metal fencing and a can of beer at police after goading officers during the rioting in Sunderland on 2 August.
Williams shouted, “Put your shields down and let’s go, let’s fucking go” and took his shirt off as he squared up to police, running at the line of riot shields, the court was told.
Sophie Allinson, defending, said her client had not been aware of any protest and his “moment of madness” came after he drank eight cans of lager.
