Mother who took toddler to protest at Manchester asylum seekers hotel cries in court

A woman has been convicted of throwing liquid at a police officer during protests outside of a hotel housing asylum seekers - while her child was in a pushchair next to her.

Nevey Smith, 21, cried in the dock as she admitted violent disorder during a disturbance outside a hotel in Newton Heath, Manchester, on 31 July.

Manchester Magistrates Court heard Smith was taking her child to her grandmother’s when she saw a family member outside the hotel.

She was then seen to throw a liquid from a bottle towards the police officers after 'losing her temper'.

Mitigating, Robert Moussalli said his client, who wept throughout, was ‘deeply sorry’.

"She was taking her child to her grandmother’s when she saw her auntie standing with some people near the hotel and went to talk to her,” he said.

“Then people started shouting and she moved to the front of the group and her auntie went to the back with her child. She wasn’t planning to do anything.”

He said Smith had thrown water, but it had not made contact with the officers.

He added that she "lost her temper" when someone from behind the police "shouted at her."

"I accept she brought it entirely on herself,” Mr Moussalli added.

Granting her bail with stringent conditions, District Judge Joanne Hirst said: “I am prepared to give you one opportunity. You put your own child at risk.”

Michelle Jibson, 45, and Tracy Pearson, 53, both of Kingsbridge Road, Manchester, also pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

They were both described as ‘agitators’ after being alleged to have attended outside the hotel on Oldham Road on July 31.

Jibson was said to be wearing a yellow shirt with an England flag wrapped around her waist.

“She is seen to strike out at a police officer during a verbal provocation,” prosecutor Tess Kenyon said.

“She doesn’t remove herself despite requests by the police to move on.”

Jibson was said to have ‘genuine remorse’.

Pearson was said to have attended outside the hotel, and was also wearing an England flag wrapped around her waist.

She was said to be verbally provocative to the police, shouting: “F*** off - I can’t believe you lot sticking up for that s**t in there."

Ms Shaw, representing both, said of Pearson: “She is very sorry. She wished she didn’t attend at the time.”

Both women were remanded into custody, while Smith was granted bail with conditions. All three will be sentenced on 19 August.

The hearings follow a wave of violent disorder in the days after the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport which triggered riots across the country.

Violent scenes were seen across the North West in places including Southport, Liverpool, Blackpool, Bolton, and Manchester city centre.

Two 12-year-old children have become the youngest people convicted of violent disorder following the widespread unrest sparked by the Southport stabbings.

The boys, who cannot be named because of their age, from Manchester and Southport, each pleaded guilty to the charges - which are not connected - as they appeared in court.

One youngster, in Manchester, was said to have been "more involved in the violence and disorder than any other defendant I’ve seen," by a judge as he appeared in court.

In Southport, another 12-year-old was caught on CCTV throwing an object at a line of police before riding off on a bike, Liverpool Youth Court heard.

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