Staffordshire man jailed for six years for role in Southport-related rioting

A Staffordshire antheral convicted of rioting successful transportation with post-Southport unrest has been jailed for six years and 17 weeks.

Simon Orr, 39, of Tamworth, was sentenced astatine Stafford Crown Court connected Thursday, aft helium pleaded blameworthy past period to charges of riot and assaulting a pistillate constabulary officer, constabulary said.

Orr, of Grazier Avenue, Two Gates, Tamworth, who was the 3rd suspect successful England to admit a complaint of riot successful transportation with upset astir the country, besides sent a WhatsApp connection encouraging others to crook up during an onslaught connected a edifice successful Tamworth connected August 4.

Staffordshire Police said a dedicated squad of detectives person been moving tirelessly to reappraisal footage “and to enactment against those who subjected our communities and frontline officers to senseless acts of criminality”.

The unit said successful a statement: “Orr was arrested connected August 12 and primitively denied his involvement, saying the protestation was peaceful.

“We secured the grounds to complaint him for convulsive upset and aboriginal consulted with the CPS implicit upgrading the offence to riot – unlawful unit – nationalist order, the astir superior of the Public Order Act 1986.

“In September, we became the 2nd unit successful the UK to unafraid riot charges against 2 people, including Orr.

“Alongside his sentencing today, we besides reached a milestone of making 150 arrests successful transportation with some disorders successful Stoke-on-Trent and Tamworth. More volition beryllium coming.”

As portion of Orr’s sentence, helium was besides fixed a 10-year assemblage behaviour order.

Assistant Chief Constable Becky Riggs said: “What happened connected that play successful August is thing that is going to enactment with our officers and section communities for a precise agelong time.

“Our probe has been unwavering and is inactive precise overmuch successful progress.

“We privation to marque definite we instrumentality the close enactment against everybody who contributed to the upset successful Stoke-on-Trent and Tamworth, and to nonstop a wide connection that we volition ne'er tolerate thing similar this successful Staffordshire oregon crossed the UK.”