‘Quite what you were protesting about remains a mystery to many’: Judge’s withering comments to thugs in Southport ‘baying mob’ as he jails them for two years – after teen, 18, wailed ‘I’m a child’ when he was arrested for throwing bricks at cops in riots

Two rioters who were both ‘at the forefront’ of violent disorder across Britain last week have been jailed for 32 months each – as dozens of far-right thugs continue to face justice this week.

Gas fitter John O’Malley, 43, who rioted outside a mosque in Southport last Tuesday in a crowd of 1,000 people, was told that he was ‘at the front of what was essentially a baying mob’.

O’Malley was sentenced alongside semi-retired welder William Nelson Morgan, 69, who admitted violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon – a wooden bat – in Liverpool on Saturday night.

Morgan was part of a group of around 100 people who set fire to bins and buildings, threw bricks and damaged local businesses in County Road, Walton.

Their cases were fast-tracked through the courts as the government looks to send a message to anyone involved in the civil unrest. As the rioters were being jailed, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called another emergency COBRA meeting.

Sentencing, Judge Andrew Menary KC said there was very serious mob violence taking place and ‘each of you were at the forefront’. He added: ‘Quite what they were protesting about remains a mystery to many’.

The judge told O’Malley: ‘You were part of a crowd using obviously racist and religiously intolerant language that was demonstrating quite deliberately outside a mosque, and you were an active and persistent participant.’ 

O’Malley has a conviction from 2006 for excess alcohol and a conviction from 2023 for assault by beating. Morgan had no previous convictions. 

It comes as dozens of far-right thugs are humbled as they face the British justice system this week, including three who were jailed yesterday over violent demonstrations that have shaken the UK.

The riots first started outside a mosque in Southport last Tuesday, near to where three girls were killed by a knifeman at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. But civil unrest spread across the country over false speculation online that the teenage suspect was a Muslim alyssum seeker who arrived in the UK on a boat.

It comes as: 

 Earlier, we reported how an 18-year-old who was seen ‘celebrating’ after launching bricks at police officers during a ‘vile and destructive’ riot is also among dozens of far-right thugs who are facing justice this week.

Cole Stewart was cheered on as he hurled missiles at riot police who had been deployed to a violent protest in Darlington, County Durham, on Monday evening.

Shocking CCTV shows the teenager repeatedly throwing bricks and other objects near North Lodge Park, with one of them striking an officer. 

The teenager wailed ‘I’m a child’ as he was pinned to the ground by police and arrested at the scene. He pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday ahead of being sentenced on Friday.

Heather Blair, prosecuting, said an officer ‘felt a sharp blow to his wrist’ from an object believed to be thrown by Stewart, who was then seen ‘celebrating with his arms in the air’. Durham Police said he engaged in ‘vile and destructive behaviour’.

Brandon Welch was also charged with violent disorder after he allegedly used racist language and encouraged people to smash up property while live-streaming the Darlington riot on TikTok. The 18-year-old did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody ahead of a hearing at Teesside Crown Court on August 28.

As the charges continue to roll in today, another rioter was remanded in custody following an investigation into the alleged posting online of content encouraging violence against police officers and promoting public disorder.

Stuart Burns, 41, of Briar Bank, Carlisle, has been charged with two counts of an offence under Section 127 of the Communications Act. He will appear at North Cumbria Magistrates’ Court today.

Meanwhile four men were charged with violent disorder and one with criminal damager following protests across Manchester on the weekend.

Marcus Foster, Paul Smith, Steven Miller and Joseph Ley were charged with violent disorder and remanded in custody ahead of appearing at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court today. 

Oliver Chapman will appear at the same court, charged with criminal damage.

Miller, 38, of Woodward Street, Manchester, gave no indication of plea as he appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning.

Prosecutor Robin Lynch said the charges related to disorder outside a hotel housing migrants on July 31.

District Judge Joanne Hirst remanded Miller into custody and ordered him to appear at Manchester Crown Court on August 29 for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

The Met Police also made ten more arrests last night over violent disorder at a protest in Whitehall on Wednesday. Protesters launched bottles and fireworks at police outside Downing Street.

Yesterday, one rioter shook and cried in the dock as he admitted punching a black man while another yob who was knocked to the ground by a police shield admitted to ‘spitting on officers’.

Liam Ryan, 28, sobbed in court as he pleaded guilty to violent disorder after travelling from West Yorkshire to Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens to ‘play an active role in the disorder’.

Prosecutor Laura Peers said social media footage showed ‘a black male being confronted by a large group of white males’, adding that Ryan could be seen ‘aiming a punch towards the male involved’.

Daniel McGuire pleaded guilty after ‘spitting on officers and shields’ despite being told to stop. The 45-year-old, of Crescent Avenue, Plymouth, pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

He was seen pushing up against police riot shields before ‘spitting on officers and shields’ during a riot in the city on Monday, August 5.

In a video that went viral shortly after, he then appeared to be shoved back by the fed-up cops, promptly toppling onto his backside. He will be sentenced on Thursday, August 8.

After the three men were jailed in Liverpool, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: ‘This is the swift action we’re taking. If you provoke violent disorder on our streets or online, you will face the full force of the law.’

One case of alleged terrorism is ‘actively under consideration’ following widespread disorder across the country, the Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson has said.

And Julie Sweeney, 53, was remanded in custody after appearing in court accused of sending a threatening message suggesting blowing up ‘a mosque with adults inside’.

Derek Drummond, screamed ‘s***houses’ at officers as they tried to put on their protective gear during a riot in Southport last Tuesday before attacking one male PC as he tried to protect his colleagues.

The 58-year-old haulier, who called himself a ‘fool’ while handing himself in to police and has since lost his job, was sentenced at a fast-tracked hearing at Liverpool Crown Court alongside two other local men who took part in a riot in the city centre on Saturday.

Liam Riley, 40, was emotionless as he was sentenced to 20 months in prison after admitting violent disorder and racially aggravated behaviour, while Declan Geiran, 29, received 30 months for setting fire to a police van and sending a malicious communication.

The trio were the first to be jailed for violent disorder during the riots. 

Dozens more riot suspects will go through the courts in expedited hearings this week, with 120 already charged and at least 428 arrested. The numbers are ‘expected to rise significantly day by day’, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said.

Drummond, Riley and Geiran were involved in riots near Southport Mosque last Tuesday following the vigil in the town for three girls who were fatally stabbed at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club.

Elsewhere, Aaron Johnson admitted using racist language on a live stream he broadcast to ‘millions of people’ from outside a hotel in Stockport thought to contain asylum seekers at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.

Prosecutor Laura Peers said Johnson ‘became aggressive to members of staff’ at the hotel, adding that he told them ‘he would smash their face in’.

Ms Peers added that ‘within the stream he repeatedly refers to migrants in a derogatory manner’ and used racist language.

Johnson was remanded into custody and will be sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court on August 21.

Elsewhere, a man has been charged with possessing a wooden stick as a weapon during a gathering in Birmingham.

TV coverage of the large gathering on Monday night led to claims on social media that someone was armed with a sword near a roundabout in the Bordesley Green area of Birmingham.

A number of counter-protesters gathered in the area after social media rumours of a far-right march being staged there.

A man filmed by Sky News allegedly carrying a sharpened bat at a counter-protest in Birmingham on Monday denied possession of an offensive weapon.

Shehraz Sarwar, 46, pleaded not guilty at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court to possessing the ‘wooden stick with a cord wrapped around it’. He told the court it was a ‘religious staff’. Mr Sarwar faces trial on September 23.

Also in the West Midlands, Davina O’Shaughnessy, from Sandwell, pleaded not guilty to one count of racially aggravated threatening behaviour and not guilty to two counts of threatening behaviour at Wolverhampton Magistrates’ Court.

The 45-year-old is due to appear for trial at Walsall Magistrates’ Court on September 13.

In Sheffield, Jake Turton, 38, of Barnsley, appeared in the city’s magistrates’ court charged with violent disorder and driving a motor vehicle without its owner’s consent. He denied the charges and was remanded in custody.

In Hartlepool, a man who was allegedly seen ‘milling around’ and watching a boy set a police car on fire during riots appeared in court.

Anthony Calvert, 29, of Sandbanks Drive, Hartlepool, denied a charge of violent disorder during the hearing at Teesside Magistrates Court.

He said he told the boy he was going to ‘get himself in trouble for that’, the court heard. He was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on August 28.

The court appearances come as thousands of peaceful anti-racism demonstrators appeared to quash fears of further violent disorder on Wednesday night, despite the threat of more than 100 planned protests.

In many towns and cities shops were boarded up over fears of further rioting after a week of violent disorder which started in Southport, Merseyside, on July 30, but in most places, planned anti-immigration protests failed to materialise.

More of those arrested in the unrest of the past week will appear on court on Thursday, including some likely to be jailed on live television.

Three men were jailed on Wednesday for up to three years after admitting violent disorder following riots in Liverpool city centre.

On Wednesday evening, large numbers of counter-protesters gathered in areas including Walthamstow, east London, Bristol, Brighton, Liverpool and Sheffield.

According to Stand Up to Racism, an estimated 25,000 people took to the streets to take a stand – they said – against racism and violence.

This included around 8,000 in Walthamstow, 7,000 in Bristol and 2,000 in Liverpool. Similar numbers were seen in Brighton and Newcastle, the group said.

In Walthamstow the crowd were chanting ‘Whose streets? Our streets’ and ‘Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here’.

Mahmood Faez told the PA news agency: ‘It fills our hearts. Regardless of race, religion, sexuality, this sends a strong message to racists that they are not wanted and they are not needed here.’

Officers were understood to be preparing to respond to more than 100 planned protests and potentially around 30 more counter-protests on Wednesday, with gatherings anticipated in 41 of the 43 police force areas in England and Wales.

One police source said it was ‘probably going to be the busiest day of the week, into the evening’.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark said: ‘I’m really pleased with how it went. We put thousands of officers on the streets and I think the show of force from the police and frankly, the show of unity from communities together defeated the challenges that we’ve seen.’

He also told the BBC the Met had been carrying out ‘dawn raids’ on Thursday morning, searching for the most violent in the Whitehall protests and violence last week’, about 70% of whom have criminal backgrounds.

‘We’ve got criminal damage, violence, weapons offences, football banning orders. These are criminal thugs,’ Sir Mark said.

‘Any suggestion that they’re patriots, or they’ve got a cause that they’re protesting about is nonsense, and frankly, most of them are going to be charged with violent disorder and most of them are going to be going to prison for a few years.’