Man who threatened to bite a police officer’s face and threw rocks during Tamworth riots jailed

A 60-year-old man from Staffordshire who said he would bite a police officer’s face at a post-Southport protest before calling the disorder a “good night” in a family group chat has been jailed.

Martin McCluskey was seen in body-worn footage throwing “handfuls of rocks” towards police officers and telling them to “f*** off” outside the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Tamworth, which was housing asylum seekers, on Sunday 4 August.

The defendant, of Bolehall, Tamworth, was handed a sentence of three years at Stafford Crown Court on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to violent disorder and two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.

Prosecution barrister Rajbir Punia told the court that McCluskey was in a “baying mob” of about 300 protesters and took part in violence for more than an hour-and-a-half.

Disorder broke out across the country following false claims about the attacker accused of killing three children in Southport, Merseyside, on July 29.

Ms Punia said: “This defendant engaged in direct violence and encouraged others to take part in violence. His involvement was sustained and persistent.”

The defendant could be seen in the footage, which was shown to the court, wearing a white t-shirt with letters spelling “England” across the front.

In one clip, McCluskey is heard telling a police officer “I will bite your f****** face”.

Ms Punia said McCluskey had been “prowling” up and down the front line of officers filming them on his phone and swearing at them.

She added that in the footage when things are thrown towards the line of officers, the defendant “cheers with his hands in the air” and “appears to be enjoying the attack”.

McCluskey sent messages to a family group chat around an hour after he left the protest calling the disorder a “good night” where he had been “giving it to the old bill”.

A police sergeant at the disorder was hit by rocks thrown by McCluskey and would have suffered “significant injuries” if he did not have protective headwear, the court was told.

A bottle kicked by the defendant smashed and caused “immediate” pain to another police officer, Ms Punia said.

"He is clearly a loving father"

In a police interview, McCluskey said he “had no idea what the rally was for” and thought it would be a “peaceful” protest, the court heard.

McCluskey, who is a full-time carer for his wife, hung his head as he listened to the sentencing hearing via video link from HMP Dovegate wearing a prison-issue grey jumper under a fluorescent orange vest.

Daniel Lister, defending, told the court: “I say he expresses his remorse – that’s backed up by his guilty plea at the first opportunity in crown court.

“He is not, in reality, a violent man – he is not somebody who involves himself in violence.

“This is a gentleman with another side to him, he is clearly a loving father.”

"You were clearly part of that terrifying scene"

Recorder Abigail Nixon said: “It is difficult to find you are truly remorseful for what you did because of your gloating in messages an hour or so after you got home.

“I reject entirely that you went along thinking it was going to be a peaceful protest about which you knew nothing. I’m certain you knew that the protest was against the presence of asylum seekers.

“I’m satisfied you knew precisely what could happen. Police were subjected to violence for a number of hours – I have heard that some officers described it as the worst disorder they had ever been called to.

“You were clearly part of that terrifying scene. You were not briefly watching from the sidelines – you were violent and you were threatening the police.

“I am quite sure you were at the forefront of the violence actively encouraging the participation of others.”

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