Father jailed for violence and racist remarks hung head in shame as riot video played in court
A father-of-four has been jailed for 28 months after throwing a missile and shouting racist remarks during a protest in Tamworth.
David Jordan, 59, was charged with violent disorder after video footage showed him throwing an object towards a line of police in front of the Holiday Inn Express hotel in the Staffordshire town, where migrants were being housed, on August 4.
Jordan, who was identified anonymously by a member of the public, was seen on multiple videos goading police officers, making inappropriate gestures, throwing missiles from behind a road-sign and enticing the crowd.
The defendant, of Tamworth Road, Tamworth, could also be heard shouting “f****** paedos” towards the hotel and telling police officers to “f*** off”.
He also messaged a contact on Facebook asking them to spread the word that some migrants had been moved to a different hotel.
Prosecution barrister Fiona Cortese told the court that during a police interview, Jordan said he had not planned to attend the protest and that he was an “angry old man shouting his mouth off”.
Defending Jordan, Harinderpal Singh Dhami said: “As far as the harm is concerned, I imagine the fear the people in the hotel felt, the police, and the community as a whole watching on the TV.
“He now accepts fully the way he conducted himself was far from a peaceful protest.”
Sentencing him at Stafford Crown Court, Judge John Edwards told Jordan: “You rightly hung your head in shame as we watched the video.
“I have looked with care at the footage, you are front and centre of this baying mob for an hour-and-a-half.”
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Ellison said: “This is the first conviction we’ve secured in Staffordshire and it certainly won’t be the last.
“Our officers have been working incredibly long hours to investigate the vast array of footage available from both incidents we’ve experienced across Stoke-on-Trent and Tamworth.
“I want to be clear that robust enforcement is continuing each and every day across the country and in Staffordshire. We’ve arrested 51 people and charged 17 with violent disorder offences so far, and more will be coming.
“I’d also like to recognise the vital role that the public have played in this conviction, too. We’re continuing to receive information from members of the local community through our major incident portal, which is an integral part of securing the evidence needed to deliver justice.
“With your support, we can continue to take robust action against those who are responsible for the senseless scenes we’ve seen in Staffordshire and across the UK.”
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