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Prosecutors have warned that the three far-right thugs handed heavy sentences over nationwide unrest are just “the tip of the iceberg” as the crackdown on rioters continues.
As the three men became the first to be jailed over the Southport and Liverpool riots, Sir Keir Starmer pointed to their cases as an example of how perpetrators of the disorder breaking out across the UK’s streets “will face the full force of the law” after “swift action” from authorities. Prosecutors also warned “those who stir up hate online”.
Police are braced for more than 100 protests in 41 of the 43 force areas in England and Wales on Wednesday evening as far-right groups target immigration services. The Independent understands officers are also expecting more than 30 counter-protests, as 6,000 riot officers prepare for another night of potential disorder. More than 1,300 specialist public order officers are ready to be deployed across London alone.
The total number of people charged over the unrest in England and in Northern Ireland has now reached more than 140, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said, as police chiefs continued to warn rioters they could “expect a knock at the door”. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said they expected that number to rise “significantly” in the coming days, as officers looked to make further arrests.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the large number of courtroom appearances and arrests – already more than 420 – are “just the start”. They added: “Our criminal justice system is showing violent thuggery has no place on our streets.”
In the longest prison sentence handed down so far over the far-right disorder, Derek Drummond, 58, was jailed for three years after punching a police officer during the riot that erupted in Southport following the fatal knife attack on three young girls in the town on 29 July.
Drummond, of Pool Street, Liverpool, previously pleaded guilty to violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker, after he punched an officer in the face and was later seen dismantling a wall and throwing bricks towards police on St Luke’s Road.
He was one of three men to be jailed at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday – alongside Declan Geiran and Liam James Riley, who were sentenced to 30 months and 20 months in prison respectively after Geiran tried to set a police van alight and Riley threw rocks and bricks at police.
Riley, of Walton Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool, and Geiran, of Kelso Road, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to violent disorder following the riots in Liverpool city centre, with Geiran also admitting arson of a police vehicle.
Senior district crown prosecutor Jonathan Egan warned the trio’s sentences show how those perpetrating the unrest “will be sent to prison for a long time”.
He said: “The three men sentenced today are the tip of the iceberg, and just the start of what will be a very painful process for many who foolishly chose to involve themselves in violent unrest. Many of those involved will be sent to prison for a long time.”
Assistant Chief Constable Paul White added: “I hope the speed with which the wheels of justice have turned makes it very clear to anyone considering getting involved in disorder that they could find themselves in a prison cell very soon after.”
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Stephen Parkinson has said one case of alleged terrorism is “actively under consideration”.
At least one man has also been charged with possessing an offensive weapon after taking part in a “counter-protest” in Birmingham.
Meanwhile, those arrested continued to appear in court on Wednesday, some reduced to tears as they heard they would be kept in prison before their next hearings. At least 12 people were convicted for their part in the disorder, with many facing jail.
Nick Price, director of legal services for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “If you get involved in violent disorder on our streets or stir up hate online, you will feel the full force of the law. Our prosecutors are working round the clock to make sure lawbreakers can be brought before the courts without delay and face the consequences of their actions.”
Referring to the disturbances near Southport Mosque on 30 July at the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Andrew Menary KC said: “The genuine and collective grief of the residents of Southport was effectively hijacked by this callous behaviour.”
Prosecutor Christopher Taylor said Drummond was among around 1,000 demonstrators who clashed with police over several hours. Some 50 officers were injured, with damage caused to police vehicles, residential properties and the mosque. Chants from the group included “England til I die”, the court heard.
Bodyworn camera footage from Police Constable Thomas Ball showed the defendant approaching a riot cordon line before calling “s***houses, s***houses”. Drummond was told to go back but then punched PC Ball in the face.
About 30 minutes later Drummond approached officers again and attempted to break through another cordon.
Following a public appeal, the defendant handed himself into the police and said he was “a fool”.
Lionel Greig, defending Drummond, said the defendant – who had 14 previous convictions, including for offences of violence – had lost his employment since the incident and wished to further apologise to police for his conduct towards them.
It comes after a man was jailed on Tuesday following disorder in Bolton on Sunday. James Nelson, 18, of Victoria Road, Horwich, Bolton, is thought to have been the first person to receive a prison sentence after the widespread unrest that followed the Southport killings. At Manchester Magistrates’ Court, Nelson was jailed for two months after pleading guilty to causing criminal damage.
Meanwhile, inquests into the deaths of Southport stabbing victims Bebe King, six, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were opened and adjourned at Bootle Town Hall, where senior coroner Julie Goulding said it was “impossible to adequately articulate the devastating lifelong effects of the truly tragic events of Monday, 29 July”.
