Father with ‘maniacal grin’ latest from Southport riots to be jailed

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A father who was seen at the front of a crowd with a “maniacal grin” during disorder in Southport has been jailed for two years and eight months.

Christopher Beard was shown on footage “shouting”, “gesticulating” and throwing objects towards police officers at the front of a crowd which gathered outside a mosque in the Merseyside town on July 30, the day after three girls died in a knife attack, Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

Louise McCloskey, prosecuting, said Beard, who pleaded guilty to violent disorder, was seen as police vehicles tried to move but were hit by the crowd.

She said: “The defendant is turning and laughing, with what can only be described as a maniacal grin, towards the crowd.”

He was seen piling wheelie bins on top of each other and throwing missiles towards the police, including a large piece of wood, the court heard.

Ms McCloskey said: “The defendant remains in the midst of the crowd, seemingly enjoying the chaos.”

Charles Lander, defending, said the 33-year-old has a 12-week-old daughter and is about to become a grandfather as his older child, aged 19, is expecting a baby in December.

He said Beard, of Stewart Road in Wigan, had been working in the area and had gone to “show some respect”.

He has since lost his job, the court heard.

Sentencing, Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC said: “It is no mitigation at all to say you, or some of you, went simply to pay your respects. That lies ill in the mouth of any of you, given your subsequent behaviour.”

He added: “There’s footage of you literally building a bonfire in the middle of the road, pulling wheelie bins on top of each other.”

Beard was sentenced alongside Lee Powell, 46, who claimed he was not politically motivated but was in the area to lay flowers and became “trapped” on the wrong side of the police line as he tried to get back to his car.

Judge Menary said he “utterly” rejected that account.

He said: “Your role was not some benign one. You abused officers at close quarters and on two occasions, for sure, you threw an item or items at officers.

“You were, in the classical sense, a member of the mob, giving out encouragement to the group.”

Powell, of Fountains Road, Liverpool, was jailed for two years and four months for violent disorder.

The court heard Adam Latty, 24, of Radnor Drive, Southport, was identified by a distinctive tattoo on his arm, after he took his top off and tied it around the lower part of his face.

Ms McCloskey said he was seen throwing missiles, including a glass bottle, toward police.

Charles Lander, defending, said he was of previous good character and worked as a contractor in the water industry but had now lost his job.

Judge Menary said: “It is a great shame someone of your past character should find yourself in the dock of a crown court facing such a serious and utterly pointless criminal offence.”

Latty was jailed for 20 months after admitting violent disorder at an earlier hearing.