Thomas Birley: Arsonist involved in fire outside migrant hotel handed longest sentence yet over UK riots
Thomas Birley, 27, has been sentenced to nine years over his role in the riots at the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, a hotel housing asylum seekers who were targeted by "racist mob violence".
Friday 6 September 2024 18:00, UK
An arsonist who stoked a fire outside a Rotherham hotel hosting asylum seekers during last month's riots has been jailed for nine years.
It is the longest sentence handed down so far over , which erupted across the UK following the killing of three children in a stabbing at a dance class in Southport.
Thomas Birley, 27, of Swinton, near Rotherham, previously pleaded guilty to a charge of arson with intent to endanger life, one count of violent disorder, and possession of an offensive weapon - a police baton.
He was sentenced to nine years in custody with five years on licence as part of a 14-year extended sentence.
It comes after masked rioters broke into the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, which was being used to provide accommodation for asylum seekers, and destroyed a communal area, as violence escalated in towns and cities across the UK.
Sixty-four police officers were injured in the unrest on 4 August.
Sheffield Crown Court heard that, during the riots, Birley was part of a group that smashed ground-floor windows and called the police "f* nonce protectors".
During the riot, a fire was lit outside the hotel and Birley, a painter and decorator, was seen adding a piece of chipboard to it. He was also seen helping to move a bin on top of the fire.
The sentencing judge, Jeremy Richardson KC, said it was "clear as clear can be" that Birley was "intent on spreading a hateful message of violence and racism".
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"It appears you hold views that are anti-empathetic to those seeking refuge in the UK," the judge said.
"You said you went to the hotel to voice your opinion. You were encouraged to do what you did because of posts on social media.
"You knew you were going to participate in racist mob violence - you took a scarf on a warm day to cover your face."
The riots came following a wave of disinformation, spread largely by far-right accounts on social media, surrounding the identity of the Southport suspect - who it was wrongly claimed was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK by boat.
The judge said Birley's case was "unquestionably" the most serious to come before him in relation to the rioting outside the hotel.
During the sentencing, the prosecution told the court that by 12.30pm, crowds at the hotel had grown to 400.
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Police cordoned the entrance off but protesters broke through, with many entering the Holiday Inn Express and causing "lots of damage".
The court heard Birley also chanted "Yorkshire" while taking part in the disorder.
Birley was said to have been involved in a "persistent and widespread act of violence on people and property".
The defence said Birley keeps himself isolated as he suffers from ADHD, that he had had a difficult start to life but was a working man.
Birley, the defence added, had only been an "enthusiastic contributor" to the disorder seen at the hotel, rather than the architect of it.
Impact on hotel staff, community and police
During the unrest, hotel staff were taken to the panic room, where they barricaded themselves in by pushing freezers against the doors, the court heard.
"Staff were panicking and crying" as "they thought they were going to die".
Speaking of people trapped in the hotel at the time it came under attack, the judge said: "None were physically injured, but all were mentally scared."
The court heard the violence had impacted local residents too, who were scared of protesters breaking into their homes.
One resident said "she's been scared to leave her home since".
The court also heard the police said the financial impact from the unrest at the hotel was estimated to be £1m.