Protester jailed for 'barrelling' police officer

Ryan Wheatley was arrested during demonstrations in Southampton on Wednesday

Two men have been jailed for their part in an anti-immigration protest after one "barrelled into a police officer" and another turned up with a knuckle duster.

Ryan Wheatley and Lee James were arrested in Southampton on Wednesday after being outnumbered by about 400 people shouting "racists go home".

Wheatley, 40, and 42-year-old James admitted assault by beating and possessing a weapon respectively.

They were each jailed at Southampton Crown Court for one year.

In neighbouring Dorset, a third man was jailed after admitting assaulting a police officer at a protest in Weymouth.

The court was told Wheatley, of Malvern Close in Eastleigh, attended the protest wearing a mask and a hooded top with an England flag draped over his shoulders.

Video footage was shown from Sgt Rob Perry's body-worn camera in which Wheatley could be seen approaching the opposing protesters before charging at the officer.

Wheatley accepted in an interview that he had "barrelled into" Sgt Perry.

An incapacitant spray was used on him before he was detained by one of the sergeant's colleagues.

In a victim impact statement, read out in court, Sgt Perry said he had not been physically injured but "had to relive the incident and what could have been".

Wheatley was sentenced to 12 months in prison

Defence barrister Keely Harvey said custody had "come as a shock" to Wheatley, who had previously received a six-month community order for possessing a bladed article in a public place and shoplifting in 2008.

"He’s had time to reflect," Ms Harvey said.

"Whilst we have a right to protest, that comes with responsibility, and he has not used responsibility wisely."

She said he had apologised to Sgt Perry, saying it "wasn’t a deliberate attack" on him.

Passing sentence, Judge Christopher Parker told Wheatley: "You must have known the likelihood of violence and it is clear you intended to take part or instigate it."

Up to 400 people gathered and chanted "racists go home" in Southampton on Wednesday, outnumbering about 50 anti-immigration protesters

The judge added: "You’d bought a mask with you so you couldn’t be seen, and wrapped your upper body in an England flag.

"Police officers do not go to work thinking they are going to be set upon by idiotic violent hooligans."

Ch Supt Tony Rowlinson said Wheatley's behaviour had "caused a fear of violence to counter protesters and our officers".

James, a scaffolder from Southampton with two teenage sons, was at the same protest, with the court hearing he took took a knuckle duster "on a whim".

He told officers he had taken it for his own protection after reading online gangs turning up to demonstrations with machetes and zombie knives.

Lee James will serve half of his sentence before being released on licence

Sentencing James, Judge Parker KC said: "Southampton is a city that lives harmoniously and you put that at grave risk.

"You chose to go along to take part in the protest, but you also chose to take with you a knuckle-duster whose only purpose can be to cause injury to other human beings.

"It would have taken very little to start a large-scale public disorder incident."

He added: "You said you wore it to protect yourself but you wore it openly, you were not under any threat."

In court, James nodded as his defence barrister Lucie Taylor said he would be the "first to admit he made a stupid decision and probably the worst decision he has ever made".

James gave a thumbs up to his supporters in court as he left the dock.

In the nine days leading up to last Wednesday, there had been outbreaks of violence in towns and cities across England and in Northern Ireland, including Plymouth, Sunderland, Belfast, Rotherham, Manchester and London.

It followed the fatal stabbing of three girls in Southport - with unrest fuelled by misinformation online.

On Wednesday, thousands of counter-protesters took to the streets across England with police poised for more than 100 possible events.