Two men have been convicted of being part of a “violent mob” at an asylum hotel protest in Epping which saw police officers attacked and the town descend into chaos.
Lee Gower, 43, and Phillip Curson, 53, joined originally peaceful demonstrations outside the Bell Hotel in Essex on July 17 last year and later took part in widespread disorder as tensions between groups of protesters and police boiled over.
Multiple protests were held outside the venue over the summer after asylum seeker Hadush Kebatu was charged with the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl.
The Ethiopian national, who arrived in the UK on a small boat days before the incidents, was later found guilty of five offences – including sexual assault – at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court.
Kebatu was jailed but was then wrongfully freed from HMP Chelmsford in October, before he was detained and deported to Ethiopia later that month.
On Friday, a jury at Chelmsford Crown Court found Gower, of Epping, and Curson, of Upminster, east London, guilty of committing violent disorder.
Gower was cleared of assaulting a police officer during the protest.
A sentencing date has yet to be set.
Prosecutor Sam Willis told jurors during the trial: “Although the protest began peacefully, it became violent – and these defendants are alleged to have been part of an aggressive mob that resorted to repeated acts of violence and vandalism – turning the town of Epping into a scene of disorder and chaos.”
He said violence by Gower, Curson and others included “punching, kicking, throwing, pushing and shoving – mostly aimed at police officers and police vehicles, but also sometimes aimed at the counter-protesters”.
Jurors were told that six people had already pleaded guilty to violent disorder relating to the protest on July 17.
Crowds started to gather outside the Bell Hotel from around 4pm that day, with 400 to 500 people attending the protest, the trial heard.
At about 5.30pm, around 50 counter-protesters arrived at Epping station and were escorted by police towards the hotel.
As this was being done, protesters outside the hotel started to run up the road to confront the counter-protesters and police attempted to keep the two groups separate by implementing a cordon.
The originally peaceful protest descended into scenes of public disorder.
Chief Inspector Stuart Austin, of Essex Police, told the court that bottles, milk and flour were being thrown, and people were attacking officers with shields.
He also said police vehicles were having their windscreens hit and wing mirrors torn off.
Tony Wyatt, defending Gower, told jurors his client went to the protest “about a very specific and very valid issue”, and “as a pillar of the community”.
He said Gower asked a police officer “why are you pushing me?” and that the force Gower used was “in self-defence and it was most certainly reasonable”.
Stefan Bisson, for Curson, said footage shows police “pushing back those local protesters” after counter-protesters arrive.
He said that “in the heat of everything” Curson pushed a police officer and added that he had acted in self-defence and in defence of others.
