Men who attacked police and set van on fire in riots jailed

Derek Drummond (L), Declan Geiran (C) and Liam Riley (R) were all jailed

Three men who admitted taking part in riots in Southport and Liverpool in the days after three girls were killed in a knife attack have been jailed.

Widespread unrest has swept across towns and cities in England since the killings of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, on 29 July.

Derek Drummond, 58, was given a three-year sentence for punching a police officer during violence in Southport.

Declan Geiran, 29, was jailed for two years and five months for violent disorder and setting fire to a police vehicle, while Liam James Riley, 40, was jailed for one-and-a-half years for violent disorder and racially aggravated abusive behaviour.

The violent disorder which spread across the country began in Southport

Jonathan Egan, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said the trio's actions "would have caused panic, revulsion and chaos in their local communities".

“Riley, Drummond and Geiran mistakenly thought they would escape justice," he said.

"They now face an extended period of time behind bars, and their criminal convictions will stay with them forever."

Drummond, of Pool Street, Liverpool, admitted the offences which occurred on 30 July as he walked towards a mosque in Southport with a large crowd of people.

Liverpool Crown Court was shown clips of Drummond kicking and attacking officers as they tried to form defensive lines with shields.

Riley, of Walton Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool, and Geiran, of Kelso Road, Liverpool, were sentenced for their parts in the unrest in Liverpool city centre, with Geiran also admitting arson of a police vehicle.

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Geiran had "casually looked on" after setting the seatbelt of a police van on fire on Saturday in Liverpool, the court heard.

Footage on TikTok showed him starting the blaze, prosecutor Chris Taylor said, with the £32,000 police vehicle being written off.

During his police interview, Geiran denied having any thoughts on immigration or political issues.

Officers said Riley was "clearly drunk" as he called an officer a "traitor and a Muslim-lover" during the unrest in Liverpool.

He made negative comments about immigrants and Muslims and said both were to blame for the tragedy in Southport after he was arrested, the court heard.

The unrest, seen in towns and cities across the UK, came after misinformation had been circulated online wrongly stating the Southport knife attack suspect was an asylum seeker.

More than fifty police officers were injured in Southport the day after the knife attack

The three men were the first to be sentenced for violent disorder charges in connection with the unrest.

The first man to be jailed was 19-year-old James Nelson who had been convicted of causing criminal damage.

Speaking outside the court, chief crown prosecutor Sarah Hammond said the jail sentences were "the tip of the iceberg", and "just the start of what will be a very painful process for many who foolishly chose to involve themselves in violent unrest".

Further suspects have been in court in connection with the disorder across the north-west of England.

Four men, aged 27, 28, 41 and 42, appeared at Manchester Magistrates' Court accused of taking part in violent disorder in Manchester Piccadilly Gardens on Saturday.

The 28-year-old from West Yorkshire cried as he pleaded guilty to violent disorder and assault.

Three others, from Stalybridge, Stockport and Stretford, did not enter pleas.

Aaron Johnson, 32, also appeared in the same court and admitted using racist language on a live stream he broadcast to "millions of people" from outside a hotel in Stockport which was thought to contain asylum seekers.

The prosecution said Johnson "became aggressive to members of staff" and told them "he would smash their face in".

A woman from Cheshire, 53, also appeared at Warrington Magistrates' Court charged with publishing written material to stir up racial hatred.

She is accused of sending a a threatening message suggesting to "blow up a mosque with adults inside", a court official said.

She did not enter a plea and has been remanded in custody until a hearing at Chester Crown Court on 14 August.

Additional reporting from PA Media.