I spoke in the heat of the moment, councillor says

Ricky Jones was suspended by the Labour Party the day after the alleged incident

A Labour councillor who called for far-right protesters' throats to be cut at a rally told police that his comments were made "in the heat of the moment", a court has heard.

Jurors were shown a video of Ricky Jones, 58, calling demonstrators "disgusting Nazi fascists" while addressing a crowd in Walthamstow on 7 August last year.

Mr Jones, who also said in the video "we need to get rid of them all", told police that his remarks were "ill-advised", Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.

The Dartford councillor, who has since been suspended, denies encouraging violent disorder.

The video, which later went viral on social media, showed Mr Jones addressing an anti-racism rally which the court heard was made up of "tens of thousands" of people.

The councillor, who at the time was also employed as a full-time official for the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) union, was arrested the day after he made the comments.

'Last minute'

In a prepared statement submitted at the police station on his behalf, the councillor said his comments were not intended to be "taken literally by anyone" or to "encourage or incite" violence.

He said he was referring "specifically" to an incident where a 'National Front Rights for Whites' sticker had been stuck on a train with a hidden razor blade behind it.

"This had made me very upset," he said.

Mr Jones said in the statement that his comments "were made in the heat of the moment" and that he was "extremely sorry".

He added: "I was not invited to speak on microphone until the last minute and I had not planned or thought about what I was going to say in advance."

Mr Jones, who had been advised not to attend the demonstration, told jurors that he felt it was his "duty" to attend counter-protests.

He said: "We turned up to Walthamstow to peacefully demonstrate, to stop the far-right being able to come and smash up the immigration centre."

Prosecutor Ben Holt told jurors on Monday that the councillor was "rabble rousing" a crowd in a "setting where violence could readily have been anticipated".

The demonstration attended by Mr Jones took place in response to protests held following the murder of three children in Southport.

Mr Holt has claimed that Mr Jones was fully aware of the national climate at the time.

'Difficulties appeared mild'

A medical report by experts from the prosecution and defence agreed that Mr Jones "suffers from a number of neurodivergent challenges", jurors were told.

The agreed facts read by Mr Holt stated: "The experts agree that these challenges may contribute to impulsive verbal responses in emotionally charged situations.

"These challenges can impair his ability to plan responses and inhibit inappropriate remarks. This could lead to Ricky Jones making regrettable statements when he is unprepared."

The prosecution's medical expert, Dr Scott Mackenzie, said the councillor's difficulties appeared "functionally on the milder side, as demonstrated by his ability to successfully work in senior roles where he has to speak publicly".

Defence expert Dr Alison Beck described these as "statistically and clinically significant".

Defence barrister Hossein Zahir KC asked Mr Jones: "What is the difference between you and someone you might describe as neurotypical?"

"If I get emotional and distracted I come out with things I don't always mean," the councillor replied.

The trial continues.

Additional reporting by PA Media