Two women have admitted assaulting police officers during an anti-migrant protest.

Hundreds of demonstrators turned up at the former Haslar naval base in Gosport, Hampshire, on Tuesday, believing that a group of asylum seekers would be landing after being picked up in the Channel.

Sally Pearson, 31 caused ligament damage to an officer when she punched him, and Shannon Dodds, 32, sprayed an unknown substance into the officers’ faces, Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court heard.

They are both due to be sentenced on 15 October.

Hampshire Police deployed officers to the town on Tuesday evening “to help facilitate peaceful protest, ensure the safety of the local community and support partners in the event of any emergency at sea”.

A total of 51 migrants were ultimately taken to Dover after their boat, which had travelled to the UK from France, was intercepted.

Pearson, of Forton Road in Gosport, pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting a police officer and one count of racially aggravated intentional harassment.

The court heard she punched an officer, hitting his hand and causing ligament damage. The officer will be off duty for four weeks. She was released on conditional bail.

‘Threatening’

Dodds, of Leonard Road in Gosport, pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting two police officers.

The court heard she had been dressed in black and was wearing a face mask and sunglasses during the protest, and sprayed an unknown substance into officers’ faces and eyes.

The district judge, Anthony Callaway, was shown video footage of Dodds standing in front of a row of officers in a way that he described as “threatening”.

She was refused bail and was remanded in custody.

On Wednesday, Toby Matthews, 33, also of Forton Road, was charged with common assault of an emergency worker. He has been bailed to appear in court on 9 November.

A 19-year-old man and a 36-year-old man, both from Salisbury, who were arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass have been bailed with conditions until 22 December while inquiries continue.

A 67-year-old man from Gosport was given a fixed penalty notice for driving without due care and attention, police said.

He was also arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and has been bailed with conditions until 22 December.

BBC News

A father-of-two has become the first man jailed following an anti-migrant protest in Portsmouth after admitting throwing a plastic bottle and swearing at police.

Del Somerville, 42, was given a two-year sentence after previously pleading guilty to violent disorder at the city’s crown court following the overnight protest near Eastney Marina on 6 September.

Hundreds of protesters gathered after a boat carrying about 120 migrants was brought ashore near Eastney Beach.

He pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of assaulting a police officer, relating to an incident on 11 September, and will face trial at Portsmouth Magistrates Court at a later date.

Judge Daniel Sawyer told Somerville that his sentence would act as a deterrent to others following subsequent protests in the area.

Describing him as a “thug”, he told the defendant: “Police officers dedicate their lives to the protection of the public regardless of their own views, the very least they can expect is that those who engage in protests treat them with respect and the courts punish those who assault them.”

The court heard Sommerville, from Portsmouth, was among a large group of demonstrators protesting at the arrival of the migrants.

They were brought ashore by the RNLI after being picked up in the Channel. A number of volunteer lifeboat crew members were subject to online abuse following the incident.

Prosecutor Edward Warren said Somerville was part of an “initially peaceful and lawful” gathering of a number of people on Ferry Road.

At shortly before 23:30 BST, he was with a large group of men as they were held up by the police line.

The court was told he was identified in police body-worn video as throwing a small bottle and swearing at police.

When later interviewed by police, he said he had found the bottle on the ground and was going to throw it into a nearby bush, but was angry and so threw it up into the air.

Defence barrister Helen Easterbrook said Somerville had been “caught up” in the disturbances.

She said he had been attempting to be a “calming influence” on the crowd but had thrown the bottle “in frustration”.

Four other men are awaiting sentence having also been charged with violent disorder following the protest in Eastney.

BBC News

A man has admitted pushing a police officer off his motorcycle during a protest.

The incident took place during an anti-migrant demonstration in Portsmouth and involved 54-year-old Nigel Wylie, of Redbridge Grove, Havant.

He pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Portsmouth Crown Court following the event, which took place in the Eastney area of the city on September 6 and saw around 200 people gather after the arrival of a dinghy across the English Channel.

Seven police officers were injured during the unrest and Coastguard and Border Force vehicles were damaged.

Judge Daniel Sawyer said: “The context was a large-scale group which began as a protest and turned into violent disorder, which are completely different things.

“Mr Wylie, not quite front and centre but second row and centre of a large group of, largely, men screaming abuse and threats at a line of police officers who were trying to do their jobs.

“Mr Wylie pushed one of those officers off his motorcycle causing him to fall.

“As with all these cases, it’s not just one case of violent behaviour but he was in the middle of a group acting in that way.”

Wylie was refused bail ahead of sentencing, with the judge expressing concerns about the likelihood of reoffending.

The judge said: “Given that these confrontations persist and Mr Wylie was at the forefront of them standing amongst others screaming and shouting abuse and threats at police, and deliberately pushed a police officer off his motorbike, gives me grounds to believe that Mr Wylie would join another such confrontation and would offend on bail.”

A pre-sentence report has been requested, with sentencing set for November 27.

Other people have also been charged and convicted in relation to the protest.

Del Somerville, 42, of Paulsgrove, Portsmouth, has pleaded guilty to violent disorder and will be sentenced on Thursday.

Justin Dixon, 50, of Cross Way, Havant, also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on October 8.

Deano Ryan, 22, of All Saints Road, Portsmouth, admitted the same charge and was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on October 8.

Daily Echo

A man has been charged with violent disorder following an anti-migrant demonstration in Portsmouth.

A large crowd of protesters gathered near Eastney Marina when a boat carrying about 120 migrants was brought ashore after crossing the Channel at nearby Eastney Beach on 6 September.

Hampshire Police said 54-year-old Nigel Wylie, from Havant, had been charged with violent disorder.

Wylie appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Saturday for an initial hearing and has been remanded into custody until he returns to court on Wednesday.

Four men have so far indicated guilty pleas on charges of violent disorder in connection with the protests at Eastney

Bradley Pinnock, of Fathoms Reach, Hayling Island, is due to be sentenced on 11 December.

Justin Dixon from Cross Way, Havant, and Deano Ryan, 22, of All Saints Road, Portsmouth, are both due to be sentenced on 8 October.

Del Somerville, 42, from Paulsgrove, is due to be sentenced on Thursday.

BBC News

A man has admitted to throwing a bottle towards a police line and swearing at officers during an anti-migrant protest in Portsmouth.

Del Somerville, 42, pleaded guilty at the city’s crown court to violent disorder after the overnight protest at Eastney Marina on 6 September.

He was the first person to be arrested over the disorder, which saw hundreds of protesters gather after a boat carrying about 120 migrants was brought ashore at nearby Eastney Beach.

Somerville, from Paulsgrove, is due to be sentenced on 24 September.

Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court was told during his first appearance on Saturday that he was accused of swearing at officers and throwing a bottle towards a police line.

Prosecutor Lucy Paddick had told the hearing that during the protest Somerville was an “active participant in the disorder and demonstrated hostile and aggressive behaviour towards police”.

Body-worn footage showed him approaching a police cordon in an “intimidating manner” and throwing a bottle directed at officers, she said.

Representing him at magistrates’ court, solicitor Jennifer Hall had told the hearing “he hadn’t set out to be involved in this matter” and had a boat moored in a marina where he spends three nights a week “being peaceful”.

“There was a crowd of people sitting around the marina, they were on the fringes of the protest,” she said.

The solicitor said police locked the marina, meaning Somerville could not get back to his boat.

She added that he spent part of the time trying to calm the crowd and, although he picked up an empty plastic bottle, he said it was not intended for police officers and that he meant them no harm.

Somerville is also charged with assaulting a PC during his arrest on 11 September.

No plea has ben been entered, but Judge Daniel Sawyer said if the defendant accepted the charge it would be dealt with during his sentencing hearing for violent disorder.

The judge added that there was nothing to suggest Somerville was a dangerous offender, who has one previous motoring offence.

BBC News