Manchester woman denies buying eggs for rioters to throw

A woman who bought eggs which protesters then threw during trouble outside an asylum seeker hotel has denied being involved in violent disorder.

Barbara Barker, of Tyndall Avenue in Moston, entered a not guilty plea to the charge at Manchester Crown Court.

The 52-year-old denied the offence, alleged to have occurred during disorder outside the hotel in Newton Heath, Manchester, on 31 July in the wake of the Southport knife attacks.

She was bailed to appear at a further hearing in November, before her trial on 13 February next year.

Earlier at the same court, Scott Chadwick was jailed for 22 months for violent disorder in Manchester city centre on 3 August.

The homeless 34-year-old had stolen alcohol from a Sainsbury’s supermarket and tried to steal from a vape shop during the riot which saw police battle to restore order.

Passing sentence, Judge Nicholas Dean KC told him: “What you did has got nothing to do with protest, politics or events in Southport and everything to do with the mob mentality when people gathered.

“It’s just loutish, looting behaviour.

“This was utterly shameful behaviour of the type that plainly requires a sentence of immediate custody.

Christopher Beard, from Wigan, was jailed for two years and eight months after pleading guilty to violent disorder. The 33-year-old was described as wearing a “maniacal grin” as he built a bonfire and threw missiles at police in Southport on 30 July.

Other courts around England also saw people convicted and sentenced for their part in violence and disorder that followed the Southport attack.

Jordan Rawlings, of Durham, was one of several people sent to prison in the North East over their roles in disorder. He was jailed for 24 weeks for shouting racist abuse at police during a protest near Downing Street on 31July.

In Bristol, a 15-year-old boy – believed to be the first youth imprisoned over the recent disorder – pleaded guilty to being involved in clashes during an anti-immigration march in the city on 3 August.

He was given four months’ youth detention and training.