Four men have been found guilty of violent disorder at a protest outside a hotel providing temporary accommodation to asylum seekers.
A jury at Liverpool crown court watched footage showing crowds chanting “get them out” and throwing fireworks at a police cordon.
Three police officers were injured and a police van was set on fire during the demonstration outside Suites hotel in Knowsley, Merseyside, on 10 February last year.
At the time, 163 men were staying in the hotel while they awaited decisions on their asylum cases, the court heard.
The protest was said to have been organised by the English Defence League, although there was no evidence that the four men were members of a far-right group.
Brian McPadden, 61, Thomas Mills, 47, Paul Lafferty, 42, and Jonjo O’Donoghue, 21, all admitted being present on the night but denied violent disorder. A jury found them guilty on Monday after deliberating for more than six hours.
One member of the public left the court saying “you fucking bastards” after the first guilty verdict was returned.
Mills, who suffered two epileptic seizures during the trial, began to sob after the verdicts were returned and then fell from his seat.
The court was adjourned as medical assistance was given and an ambulance was called.
During the trial, the court heard that police were made aware on 9 February last year that a protest was expected to take place outside the hotel.
There was “ill feeling” locally after a video was shared on social media appearing to show an asylum seeker from the hotel asking a 15-year-old girl for her phone number and a kiss, the court heard.
The jury was told social media posts were made about the planned demonstration and leaflets were delivered.
On the Friday evening, members of a rightwing group and a leftwing group gathered outside the hotel.
DC David Williams told the court that at about 7pm a large group of people arrived at the hotel. He said: “At that time, it seemed that tensions changed somewhat.”
Footage showed crowds chanting “get them out” and throwing fireworks at a cordon of police officers while a police van burned.
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Rocks and paving slabs were also thrown, with one police officer needing hospital treatment and another two suffering less serious injuries.
Mills could be seen in footage standing on top of the van before it was set alight holding a banner which read: “Let’s shout, get them out.”
McPadden was heard in the footage saying: “We protect our own, yous are not from Kirkby, we are. These are twats, the lot of them.”
Five other men pleaded guilty to violent disorder at earlier hearings and have not yet been sentenced.
Seven youths, aged between 13 and 17, have been sentenced after they admitted violent disorder. Six were given referral orders and one was fined.
Jared Skeete, 19, was sentenced to three years’ detention last April after he pleaded guilty to violent disorder, having thrown fireworks and snorted ketamine while shouting abuse at police.
Three women – Cheryl Nicholls, 44, Nicola Elliott, 52, and Jennifer Knox, 41 – were found not guilty of violent disorder halfway through the trial after the judge told the jury there was “insufficient evidence”.
A fifth defendant, Daniel Fulham, 39, was found on Monday to be not guilty of violent disorder and of a lesser offence of abusive or threatening behaviour with intent to provoke violence.
