UK riots latest: Rioter 'at heart of Southport violence' being sentenced live on camera (2024)

We are now hearing comments from the judge on John O'Malley before he is sentenced.

Judge Andrew Menary KC says O'Malley was "at the front of what was essentially a baying mob".

"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."

Judge Menary says courts have an obligation to ensure protection of the public.

To achieve that, severe sentences are imposed "for offences involving or connected to large scale and violent public disorder" to provide "both punishment and deterrence".

The sentences that he will hand down shortly to the two defendants are designed to prevent people from carrying out similar activity, he repeats.

Judge Menary says he wants to give context and background to the riots.

He says while "many residents" came together for a vigil in support of grieving families after the Southport attacks, there were others who saw it as "an opportunity to sow division and hatred".

Judge Andrew Menary KC is sentencing William Nelson Morgan and John O'Malley.

There was very serious mob violence taking place and "each of you were at the forefront", he says.

He says "nonsense" published online after the Southport attack has been used as a "pretext for widespread violence".

The judge describes the disorder in the town, with more than 50 police officers injured.

Rioters "were exploiting the anguish of others" for "their own twisted ideology" or simply for "violence".

He says: "Every decent member of the community affected by these events will have been appalled and deeply disturbed by what has taken place in their neighbourhoods."

The court hears a short mitigation for William Nelson Morgan and John O'Malley.

Morgan is a retired welder and a widower with three grown-up children, while O'Malley is a gas fitter with no children.

Defence barrister Paul Lewis says: "They stand before you after a period of reflection. Both recognise there is no grievance that can properly be addressed by mob rule.

"They both wish to profoundly apologise, not only to the families of those killed in Southport, but to the police they directed their aggression, to their own families for the embarrassment and shame caused to them, and most importantly to the public for the destruction they in part caused, for the impact on public resources and for the fear they recognise their actions have caused."

He said neither were instigators, but they accept their actions were encouragement for others and the catalyst for other mobs.

"They are sorry," he adds.

The judge has risen for a few minutes. When he returns, his sentencing remarks will be live on camera.

More from Liverpool Crown Court as a statement from the chief constable of Merseyside Police is read out.

"I also wish to highlight the fact that due to some social media posts, and indeed the hate crimes that have occurred within the last week, some of my officers and staff, and understandably their families, fear for their safety and that is impacting on their ability to serve the communities of Merseyside," Serena Kennedy says.

Liverpool Crown Court is now hearing the impact the rioting in the city and Southport has had on police and the community, home affairs reporter Henry Vaughan writes.

The chief constable of Merseyside Police has written a witness statement, which was also read in court yesterday.

Serena Kennedy says more than 150 officers from her force, and between 75 to 150 from others, have been deployed every day since 31 July to respond to any further disorder.

A team of 55 staff are investigating the disorder along with specialist investigators looking into online incidents, which means "taking staff away from investigating other crimes", she says, while the cost to policing "is immense" with an already existing £21m budget shortfall.

As we reported earlier, 93 officers have been injured in incidents in Merseyside on the nights of 30 July and 2 and 3 August, with injuries including an officer suffering fractures to both legs, a broken jaw and having their teeth knocked out. Police dogs have also been injured.

"The level of aggression that I witnessed which was directly aimed at my officers… is unprecedented," she says.

"It was horrifying to see but the officers did an excellent job in pursuance of their primary aim to keep our communities safe."

The chief constable says that many of those who have been attacked she has spoken to talked of "psychological symptoms" along with their physical injuries.

"It has been shocking to hear of the impact that policing the events of the last week has had on them," she says.

"Some have been waking up in the night with panic attacks whilst others have described the fear they felt whilst deployed to the disorder that they may not return home safely to their families.

"A number of victims have expressed their disbelief that officers have not been killed as a result of the appalling scenes of violence they have faced."

The senior officer also talks about the increase in hate crimes with 168 from 29 July to 5 August, compared to 127 for the same period last year.

The court is being shown police bodycam footage of the riots.

Rioters can be seen breaking in and looting convenience stores and launching fireworks at police.

Officers can be heard shouting "watch the flames" as they retreat over pieces of debris on fire on the street. As more police withdraw, fireworks are deflected off their riot shields.

The court is shown footage of officers telling William Nelson Morgan to relax. He says: "I'm English. I'm 70 years of age."

He then shouts "get off me, f***ing get off me".

When asked why he is present, Morgan replied, "I'm trying to go home".

William Nelson Morgan is next on the court's agenda,writes home affairs reporter Henry Vaughan at Liverpool Crown Court.

The 69-year-old semi-retired welder admitted violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon - a wooden bat - in Liverpool on Saturday night.

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

Prosecutor Chris Taylor says the "large-scale incident caused an immediate and lasting impact in the local community", including the loss of Spellow Lane library.

"The community has pulled together in the aftermath of that," he says. Morgan was part of the "mob" and was seen with a cosh in his hand and taken to the ground.

The court hears it took three officers to control him and as he was put into a police van.

He said he had the cosh for "his own protection" and asked that at his age "what else they expected him to do".

As the court is played footage of the incident the prosecutor noted the "soundtrack" of fireworks and other missiles.

The court hears that John O'Malley has a conviction from 2006 for excess alcohol and a conviction from 2023 for assault by beating.

He received a fine for both offences.

O'Malley was on police bail at the time of this violent disorder "in respect of a separate investigation" which has not resulted in charges.