Ex-soldier fined for assault at asylum hotel protest

A large police presence was deployed to the hotel protests in Bowthorpe

A former soldier has been fined for assaulting a journalist during a protest against asylum seekers staying in a hotel.

Stephen Coulman, 53, of Mousehold Lane, Norwich, had previously admitted pushing a reporter in the back on 24 August.

The protest was against housing asylum seekers at Brook Hotel in Bowthorpe, Norwich.

Judge Matthew Bone, who acknowledged Coulman's military service and the fact he was receiving treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, fined him £200 and ordered him to pay £50 compensation to the journalist.

The court heard how a journalist from the Eastern Daily Press went to speak to people at the protest when he was pushed by Coulman.

The police then advised the journalist that he was no longer safe to stay at the protest, and he left.

District Judge Bone said Coulman's actions stopped the reporter from being able to carry out his job.

"When you use any violence at a protest, you run the risk of creating more violence," he said.

He asked Coulman about his military service and was told the former soldier had served his country during the first Gulf War and lost a family member while serving in Northern Ireland.

The BBC has learned that the the cost of policing the protests in Bowthorpe has been an average of about £56,000 a time.

The hotel, operated by Best Western, is one of many across the UK that are closed to other guests while they house about 32,000 asylum seekers.