Rioter faced prison discipline charge before death

Peter Lynch pleaded guilty to a charge of violent disorder

A grandfather jailed for rioting outside a hotel housing asylum seekers was found dead in his cell hours after receiving "adjudication papers" following a prison disciplinary charge, a coroner has said.

Peter Lynch, 61, died at HMP Moorland, in South Yorkshire, on 19 October last year, two months after being sentenced to two years and eight months for violent disorder.

A pre-inquest review hearing at Doncaster Coroner's Court on Thursday heard Lynch had been placed on a charge for a breach of prison rules and felt the allegation was "unjust".

Senior coroner Nicola Mundy said she would give her ruling on the inquest's scope next week but did not set a date for the full inquest.

She indicated that she wanted the jury to consider Lynch's mental health and assessments from the point he was arrested and entered police custody.

Ms Mundy noted that Lynch was given the "adjudication papers" on the evening of 18 October 2024. He was found dead the following morning.

No details of the allegation faced by Lynch were given in court on Thursday but the coroner noted that he had disagreed with the account of his actions given by officers.

Lynch was arrested on 4 August 2024 outside the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, Rotherham, where he was pictured holding a placard asserting the corruption of MPs, judges, the media and the police.

He was jailed on 22 August following his guilty plea to violent disorder.

During his sentencing at Sheffield Crown Court, it was heard he shouted "racist and provocative remarks" towards officers at the scene and called asylum seekers in the hotel "child killers".

The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, told him at the time: "You did not yourself attack any police officer, as far as can be detected, but what you did was encourage by your conduct others to behave violently and you were part of this mob."

Lynch, from Wath upon Dearne, suffered from diabetes, thyroid issues and angina and had recently had a heart attack, the judge was told.

He had been married for 36 years and had four adult children and three grandchildren.

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