Jailed: The thugs who shamed this city
By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor
It took just six days for the first Hull rioters to be arrested, charged and sentenced by the courts – lightning fast for the criminal justice system.
Since the disorder on August 3, more than 20 offenders have now been dealt with by the city’s courts, and police continue to arrest and charge others.
In some cases, the parents of young offenders have personally delivered them to police stations after seeing their pictures in media appeals.
A grandmother, a lorry driver and a former soldier are among those serving prison sentences. Another had the unhappy distinction of turning 21 while locked up in a Young Offenders’ Institution.
But perhaps the most notorious of the Hull rioters was the seemingly omnipresent John Honey in his distinctive St George cross shirt. Judge John Thackray KC told him he was “front and centre of everything”.
Honey, of Park Grove, west Hull, was part of the mob in Ferensway, throwing missiles at police, attacking a BMW car near Spring Bank and gleefully looting shops in Jameson Street.
There was some dispute about whether he had boasted to a probation officer that he was now “famous” and asked if they wanted his autograph. But there is no doubt he has become widely known.
In the Otley Run fancy dress pub crawl in West Yorkshire over the August bank holiday weekend, a man posed for pictures dressed like Honey wearing glasses and his trademark shirt, and holding a cookie of the type he was seen stealing from Greggs.
In a further twist to the Honey case, it emerged he had previously been a police cadet and was recognised as such by one of the officers.
Honey admitted racially aggravated criminal damage, criminal damage, violent disorder, three commercial burglaries and was jailed for four years and eight months.
JOHN HONEY: Four years and eight months
When David Wilkinson, 48, was jailed for six years by Judge Thackray on August 16, it was the longest sentence that had then been handed down to anyone in involved in the disorder that broke out across England and Northern Ireland following the Southport stabbing attack on July 29.
Wilkinson, of Lorraine Street, east Hull, was part of the “baying mob” that attacked the BMW, forcing its three Romanian occupants to flee for their lives. He damaged the windscreen and tried to set fire to a bin on top of a pile of tyres close by.
Wilkinson was earlier part of a large crowd confronting police in Ferensway, where he spat at officers, threw missiles at them, and used a “nunchuck-type” weapon to strike an officer’s riot shield. He also pushed two large refuse bins towards the police line.
Wilkinson, who had 72 previous offences on his record, admitted racially aggravated criminal damage, violent disorder, and attempted arson.
The first three to be sentenced in Hull were Andrew Stewart, 37, Christopher Douglas, 35, and Brandon Kirkwood, 20. Judge Mark Bury told them: “You three and all of the others involved in this deplorable behaviour have in my view shamed this city.”
JACKIE MILLER: Eight months
Douglas, a former soldier, was one of the most prominent figures outside the Royal Hotel – targeted because it housed asylum seekers – and goaded police, threw missiles, shouted abuse and at one point stole a riot shield which he “triumphantly” waved above his head.
He was “at the frontline of officers, offering violence and projecting missiles at them”. He also pushed police and threw a bag of refuse at them.
Douglas admitted violent disorder and possession of cannabis, found when he was arrested at his home in Avenues Court, west Hull. There was a racially aggravated element to his offending. Douglas was jailed for two years and eight months and made subject to a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order.
Kirkwood, of Downing Grove, east Hull, shouted abuse and pushed a large refuse bin at the line of police. He also threw missiles at police, including an egg. When he was arrested on August 7 he was asked by a relative what he had done, and replied: “I was rioting. Then I just pushed a bin.”
His barrister, Benjamin Donnell, said Kirkwood had gone into town for food and was “swept up in the violence”. Kirkwood admitted violent disorder and was jailed for two years and six months.
DAVID WILKINSON: Six years
Stewart, of Anlaby Road, west Hull, was seen outside one of the looted shops and made “full admissions” in interview, including using racial abuse. He was so frank he “admitted things which at that time the police could not otherwise prove”.
Stewart pushed a burning bin at police and threw bottles and stones. He admitted violent disorder and was jailed for two years and six months.
Connor Whiteley, 26, kicked a female police officer to the floor during the “horrifying” violence. He also threw missiles and damaged vehicles –witnessed by “terrified” children and other members of the public while threats were being made to kill them.
Whiteley, of Spring Bank, west Hull, admitted violent disorder and assault of an emergency worker. Judge Thackray found Whiteley’s offending was racially aggravated and jailed him for three years.
Steven Love, 41, of Middleton Street, west Hull, was only out of prison on licence for two offences of affray and one of dangerous driving when he took part in the violence. As well as “hurling” a blue wheelie bin at police in Ferensway he also charged at them and threw missiles.
STEVEN LOVE: Three years and four months
Love, who had 49 previous offences on his record, appeared in the dock on crutches as a result of being bitten by a police dog, an injury for which he needed a skin graft. He admitted violent disorder and was jailed for three years and four months.
Lorry driver John Nunan, 36, cried in the dock during mitigation by his barrister Michael Forrest, and again when he was sentenced. This was in marked contrast to his behaviour on the day, when he picked up a police riot shield and mockingly crouched behind it to throw what appeared to be a glass bottle.
He threw “multiple missiles” and also pushed a bin at police. Nunan, of Hermes Close, east Hull, admitted violent disorder and was jailed for two years.
Travis Whitelock, 23, of Brisbane Street, west Hull, threw missiles, pushed a burning bin at police and kicked a moving police van. Whitelock, who had nine previous offences on his record, admitted violent disorder and was jailed for two years.
Corey Holloway spent his 21st birthday in a Young Offenders’ Institution after being sentenced to 18 months. Holloway, of Belmont Street, Scunthorpe, was “violent and aggressive” towards police, threw a traffic cone at them and also “propelled a refuse container towards police officers”. He admitted violent disorder.
CHRISTOPHER DOUGLAS: Two years and eight months
Grandmother Jackie Miller, 57, of South Garth, Little Weighton, was the first woman to be jailed for the disorder after shouting racist abuse at police. They included repeated shouts about “P****”.
She claimed to be angry that nothing was being done about her car window being broken and demanded to know why officers did not go and “pepper spray a P***”.
Miller was jailed for eight months after admitting using racially aggravated threatening words or behaviour.
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