Men accused of asylum hotel violence to face trial

Thousands of people attended demonstrations outside The Bell Hotel in Epping during the summer

Seven men accused of violent disorder outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Essex will stand trial in 2026.

The alleged offences took place during protests and counter-demonstrations near The Bell Hotel in Epping in July.

It followed an asylum seeker housed there being charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, which he was found guilty of on 4 September.

A judge at Chelmsford Crown Court said three of the defendants would face a trial on 23 March 2026 and the remaining four on 1 June, after they all denied charges against them.

Both trials were expected to last two weeks, prosecutor Sam Willis added.

The defendants to appear in court in March are:

• Phillip Curson, 52, from Upminster in east London

• Shaun Thompson, 37, from Epping, who also denied criminally damaging a police car by punching it

• Lee Gower, 43, from Epping, who also denied assaulting an emergency worker

Judge Sawyer said the following would return to court for the June date:

• Jonathan Glover, 47, from Waltham Abbey

• Aaron Elles, 28, from Harlow

• Keith Silk, 33, of Loughton, who also denied criminally damaging a sign at The Bell Hotel

• Charlie Land, 23, from Hatfield in Hertfordshire, who also denied criminal damage

All the defendants were released on bail after the hearing, apart from Mr Elles and Mr Gower, who were remanded in custody.

Rebecca Mundy, of the Crown Prosecution Service, previously urged people not to speculate about their cases.

"I would like to remind all concerned that there are active criminal proceedings against all named individuals, and they have the right to a fair trial," she said.

Essex Police said at least eight of its officers were injured during a protest on 17 July.

Fireworks were let off and eggs were thrown at officers and at the hotel, after what started as a "peaceful protest", the force added.

Police have arrested 32 people in connection with disorder outside The Bell since July.