Three men who took part in 'appalling' rioting jailed

Both Southport and Liverpool were marred by violent disorder

Three men who took part in "appalling" violence following the Southport knife attack have have been jailed.

Gareth Metcalfe, 44, and Philip Prescot, 38, admitted being involved in rioting outside a mosque in the Merseyside town on 30 July.

The disorder saw missiles thrown at police and broke out shortly after a vigil to remember three girls killed at the Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

Metcalfe, of Cambridge Gardens, was jailed for three years and four months while Prescot, of Sefton Street, was jailed for two years and four months. David Hill, 38, of Bootle, was handed a two-year jail term after admitting kicking the wing mirror off a police van on 3 August in Liverpool.

Merseyside Police said Prescott was part of a crowd who gathered near the Southport mosque at the corner of Sussex Road and Zetland Street when the unrest began.

Left to right: Philip Prescott, Gareth Metcalfe and David Hill were all jailed

He threw missiles at officers including a brick from a damaged garden wall before he was arrested six days later after police recognised him in the town.

Metcalfe was identified from social media footage, police said.

Hill, of Bianca Street, was identified on CCTV taking part in disorder on William Brown Street in Liverpool.

The trio were sentenced together because his Honour Judge Flewitt KC said the events in Southport and Liverpool "shared a common context".

The prosecution said they had contributed to events that left Southport’s streets "littered with debris" and required a "community clear up operation" including rebuilding of the wall at the front of the mosque.

'Distress'

Judge Flewitt said the Southport disturbances "was clearly racially or religiously motivated disorder, targeting primarily the Muslim community but also the police officers doing their best to protect them and their property".

"This particular incident was made all the more serious by the fact that it took place soon after and in the same area as the tragic events of the previous day," he said.

"I have no doubt your actions added to the distress already felt by the local community."

Metcalfe's defence had claimed he had been swept up in the anger which unfolded in the town, whilst Prescott's defence pointed out that was drunk at the time.

Hill's defence team said he had been homeless since his conditional release from a previous custodial sentence and had struggles with drug addiction.

They also said he was "not a member of a political party or any group organised to attend these events".

Assistant Chief Constable Paul White said: "There are now 11 people in prison following disorder in Merseyside and this number is only going to increase in the days and weeks ahead."

He warned anyone thinking of getting involved in this "appalling" type of criminality that the force would "take all necessary steps to bring you to justice".