Grandfather facing jail after ‘barrelling’ into police officer at protest

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A 40-year-old grandfather is facing a custodial sentence after pleading guilty to assault by beating of a police officer who he “barrelled” into at a protest in Southampton.

Ryan Wheatley, of Malvern Close, Fair Oak, Hampshire, admitted running into Sergeant Rob Perry at the demonstration on Wednesday.

Leah Dillon, prosecuting told Southampton Magistrates’ Court, that the defendant had attended the protest wearing a mask and a hooded top with an England flag draped over his shoulders.

She said that he was part of a small group of anti-immigrant protesters who were confronted by a group of about 400 counter protesters.

Ms Dillon described how Wheatley was spotted by Sgt Perry leaving the group and attempting to run at the counter-demonstration.

She said that he stepped in to intervene when the defendant ran straight into him.

She said: “The defendant, with his face covering on and an England flag, decided to leave that group, he went around to a car park.

“He approached the large group of protesters, they weren’t protected by the police at that stage.

“He went towards them, he was running towards them, this was perceived as an attempt to engage them in violence.

“He ran straight into one of the officers, Police Sergeant Perry thereby assaulting him.”

She said that the officer sprayed Wheatley with an incapacitant spray and he was arrested.

Ms Dillon said that he accepted in interview that he had “barrelled into the officer”.

She said that Sgt Perry said in a statement: “I was very concerned about his intention should he be given the chance to interact with the group.”

He described the defendant as a “very large male” and sprayed him “because of the sheer size of him, I felt it was the safest way to control him”.

Asking the district judge to remand Wheatley in custody, she said: “The courts are taking robust action and looking at sending these people straight to court and to custody.”

Barry Keel, defending, said that Wheatley, who is unemployed, had expressed remorse for his actions and added: “He accepts he has let himself down, his family down, he is a family man with children and grandchildren.”

He added that the defendant had a history of drug problems.

Mr Keel said: “Mr Wheatley says that he found about the protest on Reddit, he decided to go along as his concerns weren’t about immigration perse, he understands the need for people to come to work legally but he is concerned about people coming by boats and the border not being properly policed.

“He had some agreement with the counter protesters, he wanted to put his point of view that his concern was about illegal immigration rather than immigration perse.”

Mr Keel said the defendant had gone alone to the protest and had been given the England flag by another protester.

He added that Wheatley had left the other protesters because “he was concerned and upset about being called a racist or a Nazi.”

He continued: “On his own, he goes to much larger group and Police Sergeant Perry intervenes and stands in his way and he barrelled into the officer, pushing him back.

“If this was something that happened on a Saturday night, stripping out the issues of public disorder, this would be a case for a community level disposal or community sentence.”

He added that the officer was not hurt and said that Wheatley “was swept along into what was going on”.

District Judge Tim Pattinson committed the case for sentencing at Southampton Crown Court on Monday, August 12, and remanded Wheatley in custody until then.

He told the defendant: “My decision firstly on sentencing is that this court’s sentencing powers are insufficient therefore sentencing must take place in the crown court in Southampton.”

Explaining his decision to deny bail, DJ Pattinson said: “I have decided there are substantial concerns that there would be an offence if I granted bail given the history and the circumstances.

“I also find there are substantial concerns there would be a failure to attend if I granted bail because of the seriousness and length of the sentence which be could be seen as a disincentive to attend.”

Police have said the majority who attended the protest in Southampton were “peaceful and respectful”.

A second man, aged 18 from Eastleigh, was arrested on suspicion of attempting to cause criminal damage at Southampton and has since been released on bail pending further police inquiries.

And a 17-year-old arrested on suspicion of wilfully obstructing the highway at a protest in Portsmouth on Wednesday has also been released on bail.