Eight men and two boys face court over disorder outside hotel for asylum seekers

A police van was set on fire and missiles were thrown at officers after a demonstration outside the Suites Hotel on Ribblers Lane in Knowsley, Merseyside, on February 10.

Eight men and one 15-year-old appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday after being charged in connection with the incident.

The court was told another 15-year-old boy had appeared at Liverpool Youth Court on the same day and was given a 12-month referral order after admitting violent disorder at a previous hearing.

Liam Jones, 25, and Christopher Shelley, 44, pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Crown Court while Harry Boynton, 19, John Tippler, 59, and Warren Cullen, 20, confirmed they had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

The five men, all from Kirkby, Merseyside, were told they would be sentenced at the conclusion of a trial for other defendants.

Judge Denis Watson KC warned the men they could face a prison sentence.

He said: “All options are open and you are at significant risk of immediate custody.”

Paul Lafferty, 42, Thomas Mills, 46, and the 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded not guilty to violent disorder and were told they would face a trial on January 2.

Two other teenagers, aged 13 and 14, did not appear for the hearing and their case was adjourned to August 4, when eight other defendants are expected to appear for a plea hearing related to the same incident.

Jonjo O’Donoghue, 20, appeared in the dock but did not enter a plea to the charge of violent disorder and his case was also adjourned to August 4.

All the defendants were released on bail.

Jared Skeete, 19, was sentenced to three years detention in April after pleading guilty to violent disorder outside the hotel.

The violence, which happened during a protest over alleged incidents related to residents, was condemned by politicians at the time.