An arsonist who fuelled a fire outside a Rotherham hotel accommodating asylum seekers during last month’s riots has been sentenced to nine years in prison. It is the longest sentence handed down so far in connection with last month’s violence, which erupted across the UK following the stabbing deaths of three children during a dance class in Southport.
Thomas Birley, aged 27, from Swinton, near Rotherham, had previously pleaded guilty to 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, followed by five years on licence, as part of a 14-year extended sentence.
The sentencing follows an incident where masked rioters broke into the Holiday Inn Express hotel in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, which was being used to house asylum seekers, and damaged a communal area as violence escalated in towns and cities across the country.
More than 50 police officers were injured, the sentencing judge, Jeremy Richardson KC, said as he described the impact the disorder had on the hotel staff, its occupants, and the local community.
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 started outside the hotel, and Birley, a painter and decorator, was seen adding a piece of chipboard to it. He was also observed helping to move a bin onto the fire.
In sentencing, the judge said it was “clear as clear can be” that Birley was “intent on spreading a hateful message of violence and racism.”
“It seems you hold views that are utterly devoid of empathy for those seeking refuge in the UK,” the judge remarked.
“You said you went to the hotel to express your opinion. You were encouraged by posts on social media to do what you did.”
“You knew you were going to take part in racist mob violence – you brought a scarf on a warm day to cover your face.”
The riots followed a wave of disinformation, largely spread by far-right accounts on social media, falsely claiming that the Southport stabbing suspect 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 concerning the rioting outside the hotel.
During sentencing, the prosecution told the court that by 12:30pm, the crowd outside the hotel had swelled to 400. Police had cordoned off the entrance, but protesters broke through, with many entering the Holiday Inn Express and causing “substantial damage.”
The court also heard that Birley chanted “Yorkshire” while participating in the disorder.
Birley was involved in a “persistent and widespread act of violence against people and property,” which lasted over 12 hours.
The defence stated that Birley isolates himself as he suffers from ADHD and that he had experienced a difficult start to life, though he was a working man. The defence also described Birley as merely an “enthusiastic participant” in the hotel’s disorder, rather than its organiser.
Impact on hotel staff, community and police
During the riots, hotel staff were taken to a panic room, where they barricaded themselves in by pushing freezers against the doors, the judge noted.
“They thought they were going to die,” he added.
Speaking about those trapped in the hotel when it came under attack, the judge said: “None were physically harmed, but all were left mentally scarred.”
The judge also highlighted the impact on local residents, who were afraid of rioters breaking into their homes. One resident said she has “been scared to leave her home since.”
Judge Richardson quoted the police, who estimated the financial impact of the hotel unrest at £1 million.
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