Trio receive first jail terms for violent disorder after unrest in wake of Southport attack

Three men have been jailed for violent disorder after disturbances which broke out following the stabbing of three girls at a Taylor Swift themed dance event in Southport.

They are the first sentences for this charge to be handed down after a series of demonstrations across the UK, with the judge hoping it would act as a "deterrent".

Senior district crown prosecutor Jonathan Egan said the sentences were "the tip of the iceberg, and just the start of what will be a very painful process for many who foolishly chose to involve themselves in violent unrest".

He added: "Many of those involved will be sent to prison for a long time."

The three men were each jailed when they appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on 7 August.

Derek Drummond, 58, from Pool Street in Southport, was handed three years in prison after he admitted punching a police officer outside Southport mosque on 30 July.

Liam Riley, 40 of Walton Road in Liverpool, has been sentenced to 20 months after he admitted violent disorder and racially aggravated behaviour - telling officers they were, "traitors and Muslim lovers" - in Liverpool on 3 August.

Declan Geiran, 29, of Kelso Road in Liverpool, who received 30 months in prison after he admitted using an "implement" to set fire to a police van in Liverpool on 3 August, and sending a malicious communication in 2023.

All three men were due to appear at Liverpool Crown Court later in August but their cases were fast-tracked.

Passing sentence the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Andrew Menary KC, said: “Quite simply those who deliberately participate in such disorder, causing injury, damage and fear to communities, will inevitably be punished with sentences designed to deter others from similar activity.”

Referring to the disturbances near to Southport Mosque on 30 July following the vigil in the town, he said: “The genuine and collective grief of the residents of Southport was effectively hijacked by this callous behaviour.”

The court heard Gerian wrote off a police van after he set a seatbelt on fire while the vehicle was parked in Liverpool city centre.

Prosecutor Christopher Taylor told the court footage uploaded to TikTok showed the defendant at the open window on the driver’s side as he set the seatbelt alight and smoke billowed out.

Geiran remained at the scene and was seen to sit casually on the fountain outside the Walker Art Gallery and then take out his phone to film the van, he said.

He was swiftly tracked on CCTV footage and arrested a short time later, the court heard.

When interviewed, he said attended the protest at Pier Head alone and wanted to “show his support” for the bereaved families of the three girls murdered in Southport.

Mr Taylor said: “He heard shouts of ‘burn the van, burn the van’ and stated he felt under pressure.

“He didn’t believe his actions had caused the damage.”

The Transit van was written off, said the prosecutor, with new replacement vans costing more than £32,000.

Following the sentencing of Gerian, Assistant Chief Constable Paul White of Merseyside Police said: “Just four days after trying to burn a police van, Geiran has been driven in the back of a prison van to serve a 30-month term in jail.

“The message is clear: if you get involved in disorder, don’t count on ending the week at home with your family.”

Elsewhere a man has pleaded guilty to inciting racial hatred by using racist language on a live stream he broadcasted to “millions of people” from outside a hotel in Stockport thought to contain asylum seekers.

Aaron Johnson, 32, of Criterion Street, North Reddish, pleaded guilty at Manchester Magistrates’ Court to distributing images intended to stir up racial hatred outside the hotel on Monday 5 August.

Prosecutor Laura Peers said: “Members of staff became aware of the defendant live streaming from his mobile phone onto YouTube.”

Ms Peers said Johnson “became aggressive to members of staff” at the hotel, adding that he told them “he would smash their face in”.

The prosecutor said Johnson, who was arrested outside the hotel, had “exposed occupants of the hotel to a real danger”.

She said the live stream had been “viewed by millions of people”, adding “within the stream he repeatedly refers to migrants in a derogatory manner” and used racist language.

District Judge Jane Hamilton told Johnson: “You had no reason to attend the hotel where you were live streaming.

"You were taking pictures through the windows where people were trying to sleep.

"You also made reference to the children who were unfortunately murdered in Southport – that had nothing to do with asylum seekers or anything else.

"The man who did that was born in this country.”

Johnson was remanded into custody and will be sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court on 21 August.

Two men have also been charged with racially aggravated assaults and public order offences following protests in Manchester at the weekend, Greater Manchester Police said.

Matthew Wilson, 31, repeatedly punched the glass of the dock, shouted obscenities and put his middle finger up at a judge as he denied racially aggravated assault and public order offences.

He appeared alongside Alex Fraser, 20, who denied the same charge after they allegedly made racist comments and “randomly” attacked an Asian man in Manchester city centre on Monday.

Julie Sweeney, 53, appeared at Warrington Magistrates’ Court but was not required to enter a plea, after being charged with publishing written material to stir up racial hatred.

She is accused of allegedly posting a threatening message suggesting to “blow up a mosque with adults inside”, a court official said.

Court papers allege that on Saturday, at Church Lawton, the defendant “sent a message that conveyed a threat of death or serious harm, namely, suggesting to ‘blow up a mosque with adults inside’, intending, or being reckless as to whether, an individual encountering the message would fear that the threat would be carried out”.

The court appearances come as police remain braced for planned unrest by “hateful and divisive groups” as they monitor reports of at least 30 possible gatherings and threats against immigration law specialists.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...