Grandfather jailed for screaming at riot police protecting hotel

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

A 61-year-old grandfather who was filmed repeatedly screaming abuse at riot police who were trying to push him back from a hotel housing asylum seekers has been jailed for two years and eight months.

Peter Lynch was at the front of a mob which gathered outside the Holiday Inn Express, at Manvers, Rotherham, on August 4, shouting “scum” and “child killers” at police, Sheffield Crown Court heard on Thursday.

He was pictured holding a placard asserting the corruption of MPs, judges, the media and the police.

But body-worn camera footage was shown to the court of him screaming “you are protecting people who are killing our kids and raping them” at police with riot shields and “scum”.

Lynch – who suffers from diabetes, thyroid issues, angina and has recently had a heart attack – was then filmed repeatedly challenging officers as they tried to push him back with shields, screaming “protect my children” repeatedly and yelling: “We are on the streets now to protect our kids”.

Asked by the Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, what was the meaning of the placard, Ian West, defending, said: “It’s a general conspiracy theory against anyone and any form of authority.

“This was slightly off-topic from what was going on that day.”

Mr West said his client has been married for 36 years, has four adult children and three grandchildren.

He was working in the packing industry but was recently made unemployed, the barrister said.

Judge Richardson told Lynch: “You did not yourself attack any police officer, as far as can be detected, but what you did was encourage by your conduct others to behave violently and you were part of this mob.”

The judge said: “What a disgraceful example you are as a grandfather.”

Lynch, of Burman Road, Wath-upon-Dearne, pleaded guilty to violent disorder at an earlier hearing.

He is the latest of more than 20 men who have now been jailed by Judge Richardson following the Manvers disorder, which saw 58 police officers, three police dogs and a police horse injured, and involved rioters breaking into the hotel and trying to set the building alight.