Man jailed for violent protest at asylum hotel

Jamie Lee Turvey took part in a violent protest against asylum seekers

A man has been jailed for three years and four months for taking part in a violent protest at a hotel housing asylum seekers.

Jamie Lee Turvey was in a crowd that shouted abuse and hurled objects at Potters International Hotel in Aldershot, Hampshire, in July 2024.

The 35-year-old, of Montgomery Road, Farnborough, was previously found guilty of violent disorder following a trial at Winchester Crown Court.

The incident was part of the rioting that swept across England in the days after the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport.

More than 200 people gathered at the hotel on 31 July, the court previously heard.

A small group entered the car park, kicked footballs against windows, damaged blinds and a perimeter wall, set off flares and threw bicycles into a skip.

Turvey forcefully opened a hotel gate, removed bricks from a wall and approached windows to swear at the hotel residents, police said.

He is the last of eight people - including a 13-year-old girl - to be sentenced over the violence, and has received the longest jail term as the only defendant to plead not guilty.

Assistant Chief Constable Tara McGovern said: "We know that the majority of people who attended this protest in Aldershot were respectful, however Turvey was part of a smaller group that chose to act in an aggressive and intimidating manner.

"This should serve as a warning to anyone else considering trying to bring mindless violence to our streets and that the minority who seek to cause disorder will face the full force of the law."