Man set up 'racist' road checkpoint during Middleborough riots

Jake Wray, 23, admitted convulsive upset successful the August march arsenic prosecutors reason that helium was portion of a radical causing 'serious fearfulness and distress' successful the community

A 'racist' rioter acceptable up a roadworthy checkpoint, asking drivers "Are you white?" earlier allowing them to pass, a tribunal heard.

Jake Wray, 23, played a starring relation successful the upset that shamed Middlesbrough connected August 4, setting a wheelie bin connected fire, pushing it astatine police and forming portion of a pack that torched a car. He stopped motorists to cheque if they were "English" oregon "white" during the anti-immigration upset and was filmed singing: "You tin instrumentality your chickenhearted tikka up your a***."

The prosecution claimed Wray, who attended the riot with his girlfriend, her parent and the household Chow Chow, was motivated by racism. Wray had already admitted convulsive upset but claimed helium was trying to pass drivers that they could beryllium attacked astatine the roadworthy block, and helium was not racially driven.

Judge Francis Laird KC said Wray would get a longer word if helium was deemed to person acted connected radical oregon ideological grounds. His lawsuit was delayed truthful that a proceeding could beryllium held to find the motives for his actions.

More than 1,000 radical attended a protestation march which began astatine the cenotaph successful Middlesbrough, authoritative Rachel Masters said. Shouts of "take our state back" were heard arsenic the initially peaceful march made its mode towards the municipality centre, the tribunal heard.

Violence erupted aft an entity was thrown astatine the marchers. Cars and buildings were past attacked and missiles thrown astatine police. Wray, who had a St George's Flag draped astir his cervix which obscured his look astatine times, was seen astatine respective incidents.

He was archetypal spotted leaning into a car 3 minutes earlier it was acceptable connected fire, the tribunal heard. Footage was past recorded of him trying to halt vehicles and asking drivers if they were "white" oregon "English".

Later helium was portion of a radical seen thrusting a burning bin towards officers, Ms Masters said. She said Wray was astatine the "forefront" of the upset and was "part of a racist group" which caused "serious fearfulness and distress passim the community" arsenic good arsenic having "substantial fiscal costs".

But Wray denied that, telling constabulary and probation officers that helium had been trying to assistance drivers successful lawsuit they were attacked. Judge Laird said helium had already jailed a fig of radical progressive successful the upset connected the ground they were "foolish" and got "swept up successful the events" but who were "not straight determination for immoderate ideological oregon racist motive".

He said the information of defendants was a "matter of immoderate significance" and radical who took portion successful upset due to the fact that of radical beliefs would get longer jailhouse terms. A day for the two-hour proceeding to found motive, called a Newton hearing, is owed to beryllium fixed successful the adjacent fewer weeks. Wray, of Middlesbrough, remains connected remand astatine HMP Nottingham.

His woman Megan Davison, 24, had earlier been seen jumping up and down connected the extortion and her mother, Amanda Walton, 52, pulled disconnected a helping mirror. They were jailed past week for their portion successful the rampage.