Jail for railway worker who punched Asian man in Nottingham protest disorder

A father who punched an Asian man at a far-right protest in Nottingham city centre has been jailed for four months.

Paul Dixon, who is 35 and works as a railway safety supervisor, was recorded shouting "paedo" and "Allah, Allah, who the f*** is Allah" before he punched the man during an altercation.

He admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis.

15 people were arrested after protesters clashed in Nottingham's Old Market Square on Saturday 3 August.

Dixon was identified by police from a YouTube video and was arrested on 14 August.

Sentencing Dixon, district judge Sunil Khanna said: “This incident escalated in violence.

“I also have to bear in mind that it did not get any worse but there was a chance it could have.”

Another man, Kevin Musgrave, also appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court today.

He admitted to assaulting an emergency worker and causing criminal damage.

Musgrave will serve a 12 week prison sentence which has been suspended for 12 months. He will also complete a hundred hours of unpaid work.

At the hearing, the self-employed roofer admitted to spitting in a police vehicle.

Janine McKinney, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the East Midlands said sentencing offenders is "really important because, firstly if we can take that person out and put them behind bars, they're not able to go and offend.

"Secondly it sends the message out to other people who are thinking of offending, not to. And to the communities who can see that we're taking such swift action."

Owen Lawrence, 18 and Mervyn Lewis, 40 also appeared in court and pleaded not guilty for offences at the same protest.

Lawrence denied using threatening words or behaviour with intent to cause harm or provoke violence.

Lewis also denied the same charge and pleaded not guilty to racially aggravated harassment.

Both will stand trial later this year. Two others also scheduled to appear in court had their cases adjourned to a later date.

Ms McKinney warned anyone who might be considering similar acts they are "highly likely to be caught, charged, put before court and sentenced."

She added: "I hope that sends out a message to the community that we're doing everything we can to make them safe, and make them feel safe."

The disorder in Nottingham stemmed from one of several protests that broke out around the country after three young girls were killed in Southport.

Six-year-old Bebe King, Alice da Silva Aguira, aged nine, and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe were stabbed in an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

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