Rioter caught after attending court to see brother

A detective recognised Jake Joseph from footage of the riots

A man who hurled bricks at police officers during disorder in Southport was identified when he was recognised at his brother's court hearing.

Jake Joseph went to Liverpool Crown Court in September to watch his younger sibling, Cory Joseph, being sentenced for his own role in the summer rioting.

However, a Merseyside Police detective spotted him in the public gallery and recognised him from footage of the 30 July violence, which broke out the day after three children were stabbed in the town.

Joseph, 25, admitted violent disorder and was himself jailed for 34 months at the same court.

Rebecca Smith, prosecuting, told the court how the disorder flared on St Luke's Road following a vigil for the victims of the knife attacks.

About 1,000 people gathered close to a mosque on the street from 19:00 BST, with large sections of the crowd engaging in anti-Muslim chants.

'Mindless violence'

Police were attacked as they formed a protective cordon around the mosque, and by about 21:30 BST 50 officers had been injured and damage costing £100,000 had been caused when a police vehicle was set alight.

Joseph was recorded throwing bricks towards officers before climbing on to the roof of the vehicle and ripping off the emergency lighting.

Footage of the disorder, involving a crowd of about 1,000, was played in court showing Joseph throwing a concrete slab at a police van as well as setting fire to a wheelie bin.

Ms Smith said: "Mr Joseph did not make the job of identification an easy one in this case.

"Despite his keen, enthusiastic participation he clearly did not want anyone to be able to identify or recognise him taking part in what can only be described as dangerous, mindless violence."

More than 50 officers were injured in the disorder

The court heard Joseph had appeared on the footage with his face partially covered next to his younger brother, who was sentenced to three years in prison on 27 September.

Ms Smith said Joseph threw missiles with "complete disregard for where they would land and who or what they would meet".

Joseph, from St Thomas More Drive in Birkdale, told police after his arrest that he was a not a racist and was not involved in any right wing or political organisation.

Jack Sweeney, defending, said Joseph had admitted he had "made a big mistake" and was "not in a good headspace" when he joined the crowd.

The court heard Joseph had no previous convictions and this would be his first time in prison.

During the same hearing, two other men were also jailed for their roles after admitting violent disorder.

Nicholas Mooney, 29, was seen ripping the windscreen wipers from a police van and throwing bricks towards officers.

From left: Jake Joseph, Kevin Underwood and Nicholas Mooney

Sarah Griffith, defending, said a number of good character references for her client had been submitted and described him as ordinarily a "hard-working and decent" man.

Mooney, of Jackson Close in Downholland, was jailed for 30 months.

The court also dealt with Kevin Underwood, 61, who lived close to the scene of the riot on Poulton Road.

The court heard he had been involved in a large crowd chanting racist and anti-Muslim slurs and had been filming the riots, although he was not recorded attacking the police - apart from throwing a black binbag.

Charles Lander, defending, said Underwood had mental health difficulties which resulted in him living in supported accommodation.

Judge Richard Pratt KC jailed Underwood for 24 months.

He told the three defendants: "It became very clear in the days that followed that the mob did not speak for Southport, it did not speak for Merseyside and it certainly did not speak for country.

"On the contrary you caused wholesale revulsion and the courts were quick to respond."

Merseyside Police said it had arrested 121 people connected to the disorder, charged 84 and put 64 before the courts to be sentenced - resulting in combined prison time of 137 years.