AN ALDERSHOT rioter who failed to appear in court after he went on holiday to Dubai has been sentenced to two years and five months in prison.
Perrie Fisher, 29, of Hillside Road, Farnham, appeared in the dock after having pleaded guilty to violent disorder for his involvement in the riots outside Potters International Hotel on July 31.
Fisher, who appeared today at Winchester Crown Court in a white polo shirt, was part of a mob of around 200 people who descended on the hotel – which is used by the Home Office to house migrants – shouting racist chants, causing damage and throwing objects.
READ MORE: Five men appear at Basingstoke court after Aldershot protest
The court saw police bodycam footage of Fisher, wrapped in an English flag, taking a bicycle from a shed into which the rioters had forced entry and throwing it into a nearby skip.
Tim Devlin, prosecuting, told the court how Fisher then took a child's scooter and threw it at the hotel to cheers from the crowd before telling a police officer to f*** off.
His Honour Judge Nigel Lickley told Fisher: "You had no regard for the people who were your targets. The mob you were part of was very intimidating and very threatening."
However, Judge Lickley did acknowledge some mitigation for Fishers offences: "I am satisfied you are remorseful and regret deeply your actions," he said. "You are in employment and you employ people. You are the father of a young child."
The defendant was also handed one month for failing to appear at a hearing at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court last week, having chosen instead to go on a holiday he had booked to Dubai.
Judge Lickley commented on Fisher's "cavalier attitude to the courts", and ordered that both sentences be served concurrently.
The chants voiced by the mob included "We want our country back", "This is what community looks like" and that the immigrants in the hotel were "not f***ing welcome".
Mr Devlin said: "People in the hotel were in great fear as to what was going to happen to them."
SEE ALSO: Girl, 13, admits threatening violence as more youths appear in court over riots
Six other people have been charged so far in connection with the disorder, the youngest of which was a girl, 13, who also pleaded guilty to violent disorder.
Ms Alexandra Scott, mitigating, told the court that Fisher is the father of a one-year-old child and runs a small scaffolding company.
At the beginning of his speech, Mr Devlin also made reference to Farhan Asif, who was arrested yesterday by Pakistani police for spreading disinformation via social media which fuelled the violence in the UK.
Asif's claims that the Southport knifeman was an immigrant were aired by Russian media before the protests in the UK deteriorated into violence.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel