Man kicked at police line and shouted 'my country' wrapped in England flag during Sunderland riots

John Kirtley was captured shouting "my country" during disorder in Sunderland

A man who kicked out at frontline officers and was captured shouting "my country" while wrapped in an England flag has been convicted for his part in disorder in Sunderland.

John Kirtley, of Rutherglen Road, Sunderland, was remanded in custody after pleading guilty to violent disorder at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Monday (12 August).

The 26-year-old was identified following images and footage shared with police, which included scenes of Kirtley kicking out at frontline officers.

After officers issued a public appeal to locate Kirtley due to his involvement in the disorder, he handed himself in at Southwick police station on Sunday.

The defendant was among three men to be convicted over their roles in the disorder in the city, which erupted on Friday 2 August - the week that three girls died in a mass stabbing in Southport, Merseyside.

Jack Fowler, 24, of Beaumont Terrace, Newcastle, also appeared before magistrates in South Tyneside yesterday on Monday.

He admitted one charge of violent disorder and was remanded in custody until his sentencing at Newcastle Crown Court on 23 August.

Kirtley will be sentenced on 22 August.

James Aspin, 34, of Briardale Road, Blyth, appeared before magistrates in Bedlington on Monday charged with one count of distributing a recording to stir religious hatred.

Police were made aware of content posted by Aspin last Friday gaining traction across TikTok – making hateful and threatening comments.

He was arrested in the early hours of the Saturday morning, after being recognised by officers.

Aspin pleaded guilty to the charge and was remanded in custody to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on 19 August for sentencing.

Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Barr, of Northumbria Police’s Major Investigations Team, said: “We are continuing to see great results following the persistent efforts of our officers.

“Our net is tightening all the time as we trawl through hundreds of hours of footage and intelligence to find those who have played any part in the region’s recent disorder.

“The behaviour demonstrated by these men is certainly not welcome in our communities – and we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure they are held accountable.”

Fourteen people have now been convicted for their part in unrest in Sunderland - four of which have been jailed, as others await sentencing.

He continued: “Over the past week, we have seen a great show of community togetherness and the support for the force has been truly heartwarming.

“We will continue to engage with communities to offer reassurance and gather intelligence to support our enquiries – and we welcome anyone who thinks they have anything useful to share to come forward.”

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