It is the highest sentence ever imposed in connection with the right-wing extremist riots in England: a 27-year-old rioter has been sentenced to nine years behind bars. He started a fire in front of a hotel with asylum seekers.
A 27-year-old man who was involved in the right-wing extremist riots in England has been sentenced to a long prison term: Sheffield Crown Court sentenced him to nine years in prison. The sentence is the longest sentence ever handed down in connection with the right-wing extremist riots, reports the British news agency PA.
The man was found guilty of taking part in the attack on a hotel in Manvers, northern England, in August. The case was undoubtedly one of the most serious he had dealt with in the wake of the riots, said the judge. Like the other outbreaks of violence, the act was “full of racism from start to finish.”
People in the hotel feared for their lives
At the time of the riots, more than 200 asylum seekers were also staying in the hotel near Rotherham. According to the verdict, the 27-year-old put wood on a fire in a rubbish container that was pushed against the exit of a building.
22 hotel employees were afraid for their lives and barricaded themselves in a panic room. The man was also filmed attacking police officers and throwing a trash can and rockets at them.
The judge called the convicted man a “leading participant” in the riots in Manvers. Within twelve hours, 64 police officers were injured.
Rioters set fire to the Holiday Inn near Rotherham in August.
Many prison sentences for rioters
A number of violent right-wing extremist riots occurred in Great Britain a few weeks ago. So far, more than 200 people have been convicted in connection with these incidents, and according to the PA news agency, the courts have imposed prison sentences in most cases.
The unrest was sparked by a knife attack on a Taylor Swift dance class in the town of Southport. Three girls were killed and several children injured. A rumor spread on social media that the perpetrator was a Muslim migrant. In fact, the 17-year-old suspect was born to Rwandan parents in Great Britain.
