EDL supporters sentenced to 60 years for Walsall disorder

31 men from across the country, aged between 18 and 59, have been given sentences totalling 60 years and eight months for their part in the 2012 disorder which broke out in Walsall following an English Defence League demonstration.

Over 600 supporters of the EDL held a demonstration in the town centre on 29 September last year. A counter demonstration was also held nearby by the Unite Against Fascism group. Police officers had to keep the two groups apart.

EDL supporter injured by his own side in Walsall 2012

A number of officers and EDL stewards were injured when the atmosphere turned hostile and supporters of the EDL threw missiles at the police.

The following men have been sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court for their part in the disorder:

Douglas Ralston (53) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 20 months

Darron Davies (49) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 22 months

Neil MacDiarmid (50) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 15 months

Alan Turnbull (32) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 26 months

Stephen Currien (30) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 28 months

Lee Rogers (26) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 24 months

Gary Lycett (55) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 26 months

Jack Lambert (25) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 14 months

Michael Thomas (49) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 28 months

Jack Clark (22) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 16 months

Christopher Boyall (31) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 24 months

Benjamin Banfield (35) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 20 months

Mark Baker (44) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 21 months

Dean Lidster (44) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 28 months

Craig Forward (38) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 25 months

Stephen Bennett (23) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 20 months

Christopher Jelley (28) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 22 months

Myles Smith (39) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 24 months

Nicholas Cooper (28) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 27 months

Peter Kirkham (30) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 14 months

Mark Conroy (35) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 30 months

Kirk Reeves (40) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 18 months

Richard Schulz (38) – found guilty after trial to violent disorder and sentenced to 42 months

Dean Smith (33) – found guilty after trial to violent disorder and sentenced to 27 months

John Cureton (48) – found guilty after trial to violent disorder and sentenced to 36 months

Kirk Jones (28) – found guilty after trial to violent disorder and sentenced to 33 months

Ronald Hatton (59) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 20 months, suspended for two years and 200 hours unpaid work.

Leslie Silk (37) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 18 months, suspended for two years with 200 hours unpaid work.

Samuel Phipps (18) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 16 months, suspended for two years, 200 hours unpaid work.

Duncan Smith (43) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 20 months, suspended for two years, 200 hours unpaid work.

Lee Coxshall (aged 34) – pleaded guilty to violent disorder and sentenced to 14 months, suspended for two years and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work.

“On 29 September, the English Defence League had arranged for their supporters from around the country to assemble in Walsall for a demonstration. It is the right of anyone to hold a peaceful assembly and Article 10 of the European Commission for Human Rights provides the right for freedom of expression; however, on that day, the supporters of the EDL went far beyond freedom of expression or a peaceful assembly.

Fuelled by hate and alcohol, a section of the group, instigated by key figures within the demonstration, began to direct their anger towards the counter demonstration. As police then sought to contain the group, supporters of the EDL began throwing missiles.

Police officers were then exposed to some of the worst violence that they have been subjected to in a public order situation. Concrete slabs, bricks and a table leg were among some of the various items which were used as weapons and thrown at the officers.

Those engaged in such reprehensible conduct paid little regard to what they were doing or who they were attacking, as during their orgy of violence, a number of their own EDL stewards, as well as police officers, were seriously injured.

A year on from those violent scenes those responsible for their actions that day have been arrested, brought to justice and now they have to face the consequences for their actions.”

– Robin Allen, Senior Crown Prosecutor from West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service

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Full sized mugshot gallery here

EDL and Infidels fail respectively

Fresh from having their main website hacked again last night the ever persistent flotsam and jetsam of what was “Britain’s biggest street movement” (according to themselves) arrived in Norwich today for a so-called ‘national demonstration’ numbering around 150 if that.

The people of Norwich were out in considerably larger numbers (*an estimated 1,500 according to mainstream press reports) to give the bedraggled ‘leaderless‘ boneheads the rousing welcome that they deserved by letting the racists know in no uncertain terms that the hatred spread by the EDL was definitely not welcome in the city as the video below clearly shows.

Arrests were made as boneheads tried to attack locals. Scuffles with anti-fascists also took place. *Mainstream report here

Meanwhile EDL neo-nazi splinter group the ‘infidels’ were out in West Ham having an equally shit day.

Meanwhile, the weekend before in Liverpool…

Taken from alertaantifasciste

“With NWI calling a national callout ‘against IRA marches in Liverpool’ (code name for spreading anti-irish racism, especially since february ) various antifascist groups set about organising counter demoes, fash facebook pages and blogs kept pumping out about people coming from far and wide to the demo and keeping meeting places secret.

On the day however only roughly 20 of the fash turned up, this was met by a joint mobilisation of antifascists who outnumbered them 3-1, as the fash settled comfortably into their police protected protest area near the town hall another 20 antifascists turned up and stood amongst the fash, the fash then backed off and stood looking uncomfortable until police moved into to move the antifascists to their proper place.

Unsurprisingly the fash became suddenly more vocal once the police safety was reinforced, but this just further added to their humiliation, one fascist was keen to remind antifascists that ‘the police are on our side not yours’ roughly translated and taking the events into consideration i believe this meant ‘These police wont let you get us’ the police had several attempts at kettling antifascists, which didn’t seem too effective and many managed to break the line.

Far right poster boy and jail bird Liam Pinkham bumped into a group of militant antifascists and recieved a taste of his own medicine, for his first demo since his release from prison this should really make him question his involvement in politics all together.

last night was a really successful night for antifascism in Liverpool, everyone played to their strengths, there was a counter demonstration that massively outnumbered the fascist mobilisation, and sizeable groups were scouting and looking for fash outside of the demo.

The only group which refused to turn up was the Socialist Party in Liverpool, who really need to question their morals, having witnessed them sharing church street with fascists and ignoring the fascists all together to talk about the NHS, how can they refuse to stand with other antifascists AGAINST fascists?”

Fash yesterday giving it the ‘big un’ from the safety of a pub (great choreography with zee fingers) .. (CTRL and + for closer view in firefox)

The aftermath as told by EDLNews.