England — In a landmark ruling, a UK judge on Friday handed down the longest sentence yet related to recent anti-immigration riots, sentencing a man to nine years in prison for his role in the violence that erupted outside a hotel housing asylum seekers.
Thomas Birley, a 27-year-old painter and decorator, was convicted of arson with intent to endanger life after he was filmed adding fuel to a burning industrial bin that had been pushed against an exit at the Holiday Inn Express near Rotherham, northern England. The incident occurred on August 4 during a riot that saw widespread violence and significant injuries.
Judge Jeremy Richardson, presiding at Sheffield Crown Court, described Birley’s actions as “unquestionably” among the most serious offenses related to the riots in Rotherham. Birley was also seen throwing missiles at police and confronting officers while brandishing a police baton during the chaotic scenes that left 64 police officers, three horses, and a dog injured.
Staff inside the hotel recounted the terror of that night, telling the court they “thought they were going to burn to death” as flames from the bins licked at the building’s exit.
The riots, which spread across England and Northern Ireland, were sparked by the tragic killing of three girls in a knife attack in Southport, northwest England, on July 29. The violence that followed saw hundreds of people charged and swiftly brought before the courts as the judiciary moves decisively to address the widespread unrest.
According to the UK’s domestic Press Association news agency, as of September 5, over 200 people had been sentenced in connection with the disorder, with individuals ranging from a 13-year-old boy to a 69-year-old man. Of those sentenced, a staggering 193 received custodial sentences.
Judge Richardson’s sentencing of Birley underscores the severity with which the courts are treating those involved in the recent wave of violence, as the country grapples with the aftermath of one of its most tumultuous summers in recent history.
