Four guilty of violent disorder over Suites Hotel asylum clash

A police van was set on fire after the protest turned violent in February last year

Four men have been found guilty of violent disorder after trouble flared at a hotel housing asylum seekers.

Violence broke out outside the Suites Hotel in Knowsley, Merseyside, last year which was providing temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.

A large group had gathered and rocks and fireworks were thrown at police.

Brian McPadden, 61, Thomas Mills, 47, Paul Lafferty, 42 and Jonjo O'Donoghue, 21 were convicted after a jury returned unanimous verdicts.

The four defendants, all from Kirkby apart from O'Donoghue, of Liverpool city centre, had admitted being present on the night but denied violent disorder.

A fifth man, Daniel Fulham, 39, was cleared at Liverpool Crown Court of violent disorder and abusive or threatening behaviour.

Three police officers were injured in the disorder on 10 February last year, after the court heard there was "ill feeling" in the area following a video on social media which appeared to show an asylum seeker asking a 15-year-old girl for her phone number and for a kiss.

There were tears and swearing from people in the public gallery as the verdicts were announced.

Mills collapsed in the dock shortly after he was convicted.

The four men found guilty will be sentenced at a later date, along with others who have already been convicted for their part in the violence.

The jury was told social media posts were made about the planned demonstration and leaflets were delivered.

The scene where a police vehicle was set alight

On the Friday evening, members of a right-wing group and a left-wing group gathered outside the hotel.

Det Con David Williams told the court at about 19:00 GMT a large group of people arrived at the scene on foot.

He said: "At that time it seemed that tensions changed somewhat."

Footage showed crowds chanting "get them out" and throwing fireworks at a cordon of police officers, as a police van burned.

Rocks and paving slabs were also thrown, with one police officer needing hospital treatment and another two suffering less serious injuries.

Mills could be seen in footage standing on top of the van before it was set alight and holding a banner which said: "Let's shout, get them out."

McPadden was heard in the footage saying: "We protect our own, youse are not from Kirkby, we are."

There was no evidence that any of the defendants were members of a far-right group.

'Insufficient evidence'

Five other men pleaded guilty to violent disorder at earlier hearings.

Seven youths, aged between 13 and 17, have been sentenced after they admitted violent disorder.

Six were given referral orders and one was fined.

Jared Skeete, 19, was sentenced to three years' detention last April after he pleaded guilty to violent disorder, having thrown fireworks and snorted ketamine while shouting abuse at police.

Three women - Cheryl Nicholls, 44, Nicola Elliott, 52, and Jennifer Knox, 41 - were found not guilty of violent disorder halfway through the trial following a direction to the jury from judge Denis Watson KC, who said there was "insufficient evidence".