Father-of-three who pushed riot officer to ground in Rotherham disorder jailed

• Body-worn camera footage showed Richard Harrison shoving the officer to the ground

A father-of-three who was the "catalyst" for an attack on a police officer by pushing him to the ground during rioting in Rotherham has been jailed.

Richard Harrison was caught on body-worn camera shoving the officer, who was holding a riot shield outside a hotel housing hundreds of asylum seekers, on 4 August.

The 37-year-old, of Ings Field Lane, Wath-Upon-Dearne, was one of hundreds of people who gathered outside the Holiday Inn Express for an anti-immigration protest.

In violent scenes, police were attacked and the hotel's windows were smashed. A group of rioters got into the hotel and a bin was pushed against the building and set alight.

Prosecutor Neil Coxon told Sheffield Crown Court Harrison’s push was the "catalyst" for the officer being assaulted by others in the crowd, including being punched and assaulted with some kind of weapon.

The court was shown multiple video clips of him at different stages in the disorder, abusing police officers as they stood behind their shields.

Bianca Brasoveanu, defending, said her client was "shamed" by what he had done and added that "drink is a demon he’s been battling all his life".

Harrison, who had admitted violent disorder at a previous hearing, was jailed for two years and six months.

Also sentenced was Kurt Hooley, 34.

The father-of-two tried to grab a police riot shield as he took part in the violence in Rotherham.

Judge Sarah Wright heard Hooley was part of a group throwing missiles at the line of officers and screaming abuse at them, although there was no evidence he threw anything himself.

Judge Wright said she had read a statement from the female officer who was targeted by Hooley, in which she said: “I cannot describe or put into words how this incident has made me feel.”

The judge said: “The fear and panic in the officer’s voice can clearly be heard in the footage.”

The court also heard a statement from a senior officer at the scene who said: “It felt like we were fighting for our lives and the lives of the people in the hotel.”

• Kurt Hooley tried to grab an officer's riot shield

The officer said he believed those attacking the police deliberately targeted smaller and female officers.

The court heard Hooley’s partner, who was clearly upset in the public gallery, is expecting another child in October.

The defendant, who is of no fixed abode, admitted violent disorder at a previous hearing.

Judge Wright told him it was a “terrifying incident” and added “you were at the fore”.

Hooley was jailed for two years and eight months.

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