The man who stoked the Southport riots with a Telegram group he started has been jailed for seven and a half years.
Andrew McIntyre, 39, started ‘Southport Wake Up’ after three young girls were stabbed to death at a children’s dance class in the Merseyside town on July 29 last year.
The following night, a gathering of hundreds outside a Southport mosque spiralled into violence that spread across the country.
The taxi driver, who was later found with weapons and a copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf, had promoted them, encouraged violence, and celebrated an attack on Muslims in Liverpool. Both his mobile phone and the car he was arrested in were in the area during the disorder.
Describing the ‘sinister aspect’ of violence, prosecutor Arthur Gibson told the court: ‘Many of these seats of disorder were not simply spontaneous.’
Nor, he added, had ‘persons coincidentally simply decided to turn up and take part’.
He said: ‘It is the Crown’s case that others, to a greater or lesser degree, participated in the organisation, encouragement and incitement of such gatherings, which resulted in the disorder.
‘It is the Crown’s case that one such person is the defendant.’
Mr McIntyre had used his Telegram channel to share content about the July 30 protest from a site Tommy Robinson / Britain First / For Britain.
‘Mosque at the top of Hart St’, he said, adding a map. Later, he wrote a postwith fire emojis, saying: ‘Rise Up English Lads. 8pm tomorrow St Luke’s Rd Southport.’
He shared a map after adding: ‘Mosque at the top of Hart St.’
In the hours before violence erupted, McIntyre wrote what was described as a ‘clear threat to police’
He said: ‘Message to All … Stand in our way, even if you’re just doing your job … prepare to fall.’
One person responded: ‘We’ll get to the mosque and rip it f****** down.’
The day after, McIntyre posted: ‘Well done last night lads, to all you heavy hitters.
‘Are you ready for Round 2??? … Liverpool Mosque, West Derby Road, Friday 8pm. Mass deportations. Ethno state. Death to traitors. We are not asking, we are protesting. We are coming to take what is ours. Rise sons of Europa.’
Days later, on August 5, he promoted more action: ‘Wednesday Night Lads. They wont stop coming until you tell them … no more immigration 8pm … mask up … spread this as far and wide as you can.’
He also posted a link to a YouTube video of the Home Secretary with the caption: ‘We’re going to hang this woman and her associates.’
Police found a knife in McIntyre’s car when they arrested him in Liverpool on August 8. In his home, they found weapons and a copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
Addressing him, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: ‘You were motivated by racial hatred. I have no doubt your actions encouraged many people to plan and then to commit offences of both violent disorder and criminal damage.’
But McIntyre had refused to give police his mobile phone’s PIN, a move the judge said suggests McIntyre knew this ‘would reveal further evidence of [his] involvement in encouraging violent protests’.
Sentencing him, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said the defendant was “prominent” among people responsible for spreading misinformation following the Southport attack.
In the end, McIntyre, of Rufford, near Ormskirk, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to encouraging violent disorder and criminal damage, and possession of a knife.
The offence was aggravated because it was motivated by racial hostility and involved attacks on police officers, the judge said.
Initially charged with encouraging murder after the post about the Home Secretary, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to pursue this charge because of ‘evidential issues’ concerning whether the defendant actually believed the act would be carried out.
That count was left to lie on file.
