UK riots: The first perpetrators given prison sentences over disorder (2024)

Rioters responsible for recent violence across the country have had their court cases fast-tracked to warn others of the consequences.

Sir Keir Starmer, who was director of public prosecutions during the London 2011 riots, condemned those involved as "far-right thugs" and vowed they would face the "full force of the law".

Here are the first perpetrators to be given prison sentences.

Derek Drummond, 58

Drummond, of Liverpool, has been given the longest sentence of anyone convicted for their part in the riots so far.

He was handed three years in prison after pleading guilty to punching PC Thomas Ball in the face in Southport as rioters targeted a mosque - as well as violent disorder.

Drummond was outside the mosque in the Merseyside town when around 300 people started marching towards it looking "very aggressive" and shouting "this is our f***ing country", Liverpool Magistrates' Court heard.

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PC Ball was trying to protect his colleagues as they put their riot gear on, but Drummond called them "sh*thouses" and punched the officer in the face, the prosecutor said. The officer was left with cuts and bruises while Drummond was struck with a baton.

Drummond handed himself in to police, saying he was "absolutely ashamed of the way I acted", adding: "I've let Southport down, I've let the kids down. I've let my family down."

He has 14 previous convictions for 19 offences dating back to 1988.

Declan Geiran, 29

Geiran, of Liverpool, was jailed for two-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to violent disorder and setting a police van on fire in Liverpool city centre.

The vehicle had been abandoned by officers on Saturday 3 August as rioters overwhelmed the city centre.

Geiran was found with three lighters and seen on CCTV among a group of people using an implement to set the van on fire.

The 29-year-old had 13 previous convictions for 18 offences, including breach of a community order and a malicious communications offence.

Liam James Riley, 41

Riley, of Kirkdale, was jailed for a year and eight months after pleading guilty to violent disorder and a racially aggravated public order offence.

He joined a group of around 100 people who were seen throwing rocks and bricks smashing at least one shop window, in Liverpool city centre.

Riley was found with a poster that said "this is Allah's city" and told police "having heard about the march through word of mouth attended in solidarity wearing a St George's flag".

As he was arrested, he called the police officers detaining him "traitors" and "Muslim lovers", Liverpool Magistrates' Court heard.

Adam Wharton, 28

Wharton and his brother Ellis live a "stone's throw away" from Spellow Lane library in Walton where they were both arrested on 4 August, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

He was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison after admitting being part of the 300 people who attacked the community hub.

He was arrested near the scene in the early hours of the morning wearing a balaclava, having acted as a lookout while his brother went inside to steal goods, the court was told.

Wharton had 16 previous convictions for 26 offences, including robbery and burglary.

Ellis Wharton, 22

Adam Wharton's younger brother Ellis was found by police inside the library with a computer monitor, Liverpool magistrates' court heard.

He was sentenced to 11 months in prison after admitting burglary with intent and assaulting PC Thomas Nielsen as he was arrested at around 2am on 4 August.

Wharton claimed he had been "blackmailed" by his brother to go looting during the attack on the library, which was only opened last year and is home to a food bank.

The brothers' mother sobbed as they were jailed and shouted: "I love you" and "can I just thank you, judge".

William Nelson Morgan, 69

The semi-retired welder was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after admitting violent disorder and possession of a wooden bat in Liverpool on 3 August. He was also given a two-year serious violence reduction order.

Morgan was part of a group of people "running amok", setting fire to bins and throwing bricks at local businesses, as well as the Spellow Lane Library in the Walton area of the city, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Morgan's "advancing years did not prevent him from playing an active part in the disturbance", Judge Andrew Menary KC said, adding that Morgan claimed he was using the bat for his protection but it was "plainly" intended as a weapon.

It took three officers to detain him, he added.

Morgan is from the local area and has no previous convictions, with the judge noting it was "sad" to see someone of "his age and character in the dock of a crown court".

John O'Malley, 43

O'Malley was also sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder outside a mosque in Southport on 30 July.

He claimed he was just "standing in a group of people shouting and gesticulating", but didn't throw any objects or damage any property.

Judge Andrew Menary KC, however, said he was "at the front at what was essentially a baying mob" and part of a "surge that broke police lines".

O'Malley had a previous conviction for battery and being "part of a crowd using obviously racist and religiously intolerant language" was an aggravating factor.

Steven Mailen, 54

Malien was sentenced to two years and two months in prison for being at the "very forefront of the mob" in Hartlepool on 31 July.

The court heard that the former postmaster and school governor was "one of the main instigators" of the violent disorder in the town that day, which involved around 200 people.

He got involved after an afternoon bingo session with his partner, the court heard.

Ryan Sheers, 29

Sheers, who is in a relationship with Steven Mailen, was also given two years and two months in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder in Hartlepool.

The former McDonald's worker was bitten on the hip by a police dog during the disorder, the court was told.

Lucas Ormond Skeaping, 29

Ormond Skeaping was jailed for 18 months after Go Pro footage showed him throwing objects at people gathered in Plymouth city centre during violent disorder there. He also admitted pushing a cyclist off their bike as part of a so-called counter protest.

Daniel McGuire, 45

McGuire was handed two years and two months in prison after spitting at a police in Plymouth and pleading guilty to violent disorder.

Michael Williams, 51

Williams, of Devon, was captured kicking a man in Plymouth city centre, before hurling bottles and rocks at police during disorder there.

Plymouth Crown Court heard that he drank six cans of Stella Artois before joining the riot and was heard chanting: "Who the f*** is Allah' repeatedly.

The 51 year old also told police a rock found in his pocket was for "healing purposes", which a judge dismissed as "ludicrous".

He was jailed for two years and eight months after pleading guilty to violent disorder.

Guy Sullivan, 43

Sullivan was sentenced to 16 months in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder and burglary, having broken into a Tesco during disorder in Plymouth.

Almost 500 people have been arrested and 150 charged across the UK since violence first broke out in Southport on 30 July.

Sameer Ali, 21

The 21-year-old was sentenced to one year and eight months for his part in a fight between 17 Asian men and "pro EDL far-right" demonstrators in Leeds on 3 August, Leeds Crown Court heard.

The court was shown footage of Ali punching three men, kicking one of them, as well as another he found lying on the ground nearby, during the brawl in the city centre. One man suffered two broken teeth and those watching in a nearby bar were "shocked and distressed", Judge Guy Kearl KC said.

His defence said he was subject to "Islamophobic threats" and chants of "f*** Allah", but the judge said he walked away from the scene "laughing and congratulating himself".

Ali handed himself in two days later, he had no previous convictions, and his local mosque gave him a positive character reference for his voluntary work at its food bank.

Adnan Ghafoor, 31

The 31-year-old personal trainer from Leeds was jailed for 18 months after he was captured on CCTV punching a man during fighting in the city on 3 August. He was ordered to serve an additional 12 months for breaching an unrelated suspended sentence.

He also handed himself in to police, with Ghafoor's lawyer describing the violence as a "short-lived moment of madness".

The father-of-one was already serving a 20-month suspended sentence for dangerous driving and driving while disqualified and had two previous convictions for racially aggravated common assault.

Jordan Parlour, 28

Parlour, of Seacroft in Leeds, was the first to be sentenced for online activity around the riots and was given one year and eight months in prison.

Leeds Crown Court heard Parlour posted on Facebook between 1 and 5 August: "Every man and their dog should smash [the] f*** out of Britannia hotel".

There were 210 people, many of whom were refugees, inside the Britannia hotel at the time, the court was told.

There was no evidence Parlour ever attended the hotel, but the manager was forced to put the building into lockdown on 3 August when missiles were thrown at it and stones broke at least one window. It was further targeted on 4 August, the court heard.

Parlour told police after he was arrested that he wrote the Facebook posts because he was "angry" about immigration in the UK, saying asylum seekers "take tax off working people, rape our kids and get priority".

The 28-year-old was convicted of using threatening words or behaviour to incite racial hatred and had previous convictions for burglary, battery, and using abusive or threatening words and behaviour.

Jordan Plain, 30

Plain was jailed for eight months and was part of a group of "English Defence League supporters" who gathered outside Leeds Art Gallery where an anti-racist counter-protest was happening on 3 August, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Plain "made monkey noises", said members of the other group "looked like monkeys", and shouted "rubber lips" at them, the judge said.

He and others then imitated how Muslim worshippers pray and wrapped flags and t-shirts around their heads as mock hijabs.

One woman who testified against him in court said the incident has left her mental health "shattered" and she was scared to go to work for four days afterwards.

The roofer, who is unemployed and on benefits, said he was "six out of 10" drunk at the time and told a probation officer he is "ashamed".

Justin Crimp, 49

Crimp was jailed for two years and eight months after throwing rocks and smashing the door of TK Maxx in Plymouth city centre on 5 August.

The damage he caused has been valued at more than £5,000, Plymouth Crown Court heard.

He was arrested at his home in Plymouth on Wednesday.

Richard Williams, 34

Williams, who encouraged people to start a riot on a local Facebook group dedicated to protests, became the first person from Wales to be convicted.

He posted about taking part in a riot and shared a derogatory meme about migrants, Mold Magistrates' Court heard.

Williams, of Flintshire, was sentenced to three months after he pleaded guilty to one count of sending menacing messages via a public communication network on 7 August.

Josh Kellett, 29

Kellett, also known as Josh Major, was jailed for two-and-a-half years for taking part in rioting in Sunderland on 2 August.

The 29-year-old from Southcroft, Washington was seen in police drone footage throwing stones at responding officers four times in 45 seconds.

He was identified by an anonymous member of the public who recognised him on an online live stream from his distinctive tattoos, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Kellett was arrested at his home the next day and the clothing and balaclava he was wearing during the footage were recovered.

He pleaded guilty to violent disorder and nodded as he was sentenced.

Leanne Hodgson, 43

Hodgson was jailed for two-and-a-half years for her involvement in riots in Sunderland on 2 August.

She pushed industrial bins at a line of police officers and called one of them a "f***** black c***", Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Hodgson, who lives in Sunderland and was "clearly under the influence of alcohol", was also seen picking up a glass bottle and pretending to throw it towards police, breaking bricks on the ground before throwing them into a crowd of people, and smashing a windscreen of a parked police car.

She was arrested the following day having been identified on social media and tried to buy a balaclava from her local Post Office before the rioting.

Bradley Makin, 21

Makin was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to violent disorder and possession of heroin and cocaine.

He was identified by his Instagram username after sharing multiple videos of disorder in Sunderland online, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The clips featured people throwing metal beer kegs and poles at police, with one man heard shouting "Every f****** window, come on," and "Go man, it's the Olympics".

Makin was arrested the day after and was found in his bedroom with a bag of cocaine and heroin.

Andrew Smith, 41

Smith was jailed for two years and two months after being found at the centre of crowds rioting in Sunderland on 2 August.

Police told the group to move back, but Smith threw a can at them instead, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

He was bitten by a police dog as he was arrested.

In mitigation he said his alcohol misuse was "clearly the source of his difficulty" and he was "ashamed" of what he did to his own community.

Stacey Vint, 34

Vint was jailed for one year and eight months after she pushed a burning wheelie bin towards a police line in Middlesbrough town centre on 4 August.

She and others set it on fire before pushing it towards officers who arrested her when she fell to the ground, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Charlie Bullock, 21

Bullock was given a year-and-a-half in prison for being the "main instigator" of a group who attacked a police line in Middlesbrough town centre on 4 August.

He was dressed all in black and was wearing a balaclava as he threw stones at police, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The 21-year-old pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

Tyler Kay, 26

Tyler Kay was jailed for 38 months after using social media to encourage people to torch hotels housing asylum seekers.

The 26-year-old, from Northampton, called for mass deportations and his posts on X revealed a "fundamentally racist mindset", Judge Adrienne Lucking KC told Northampton Crown Court.

The court heard Kay's posts called for mass deportation and advised protesters to "mask up". He also retweeted a screenshot of a message inciting action against a named immigration solicitors in the town.

Judge Lucking said Kay posted as he did because he thought there would be "no consequences", and said his comments had "no place in a civilised society."

The dad-of-three was convicted of stirring up racial hatred.

Ozzie Cush, 20

Cush was sentenced to 46 weeks in a young offenders' institution after kicking a police officer at a demonstration near Trafalgar Square in London on 31 July.

Kenzie Roughley, 18

The teenager was jailed for two years and four months in a young offenders' institution after attacking a police van outside a hotel where asylum seekers were staying in Rotherham.

Christopher Douglas, 35

Douglas, of Hull, was jailed for two years and eight months for his involvement in riots in the city on 3 August.

Brandon Kirkwood, 20

Kirkwood, also of Hull, was jailed for two-and-a-half years for violent disorder in Hull.

Andrew Stewart, 37

Stewart, of Hull, was handed two-and-a-half years in prison for his part in rioting there.

Almost 800 people have been arrested in connection with rioting nationwide, according to the National Police Chiefs' Council, with around 350 people charged.