Masked protester grappled police at asylum site

A masked protester has become the seventh person to be sentenced for violent disorder outside a hotel housing asylum seekers.

Luke Fleming attacked police vans and shoved officers during a protest by The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, on 17 July.

He was motivated to commit violence by his "hostile" views towards asylum seekers, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

The 22-year-old, of Thaxted Road in Buckhurst Hill, Essex, admitted violent disorder and was given a prison term of one year and nine months, suspended for two years.

Judge Alexander Mills said Fleming had a "significant" ADHD diagnosis which reduced his ability to make sensible decisions.

"That does not excuse what you did, but it does reduce how much responsibility you have," he told the defendant.

The arrest - and subsequent jailing - of asylum seeker Hadush Kebatu for sexual offences triggered the initially peaceful protest at 16:00 BST.

However, prosecutor Sam Willis said the arrival of counter-demonstrators sparked clashes an hour-and-a-half later.

"Police officers were subject to sustained attacks for four hours," said Willis, adding they were punched, kicked and had missiles "repeatedly thrown" at them.

Footage played to the court showed Fleming, who arrived on a moped, wearing a black face covering and coat while grappling with police officers.

The prosecutor said he joined in with "large scale acts of violence" upon arrival, including attacking several police vans.

Mills added: "You threw an object at a police van and you were part of a group acting in a violent and threatening way."

He said protesters used the arrest of Kebatu as a "cynical excuse to cause mayhem".

Nicholas Ferrari, mitigating, said events "spiralled very quickly out of control".

He insisted Fleming's behaviour was uncharacteristic when considering he had no previous convictions.

As part of his sentence, Fleming will be subject to an electronically monitored curfew between 20:00 and 07:00 for six months.

Fleming's father briefly collapsed in the public gallery after hearing his son would not be sent to prison.

Three other protesters were jailed in October, while Lee Gower, 43, and 38-year-old Shaun Thompson, both from Epping, were sentenced earlier in June.

Aaron Elles, 28, from Harlow, also received a prison sentence of one year and eight months in October.

Four others are due to be sentenced in August.

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