A young father was one of the troublemakers who joined in scenes of rioting in Hull city centre on a day that had cost the police at least £270,000 so far.
Steven Drinkall was seen outside a hotel where asylum seekers were being housed at the time as well as when fighting later broke out in the Jameson Street area, Hull Crown Court heard.
Drinkall, 23, of St John’s Grove, off Preston Road, east Hull, admitted an offence of violent disorder on August 3.
Cathy Kioko-Gilligan, prosecuting, said that a planned protest was organised in Hull city centre on the day of a “countrywide violent disorder” and it started between 1 and 1.30pm in the area of Queen Victoria Square and the Royal Hotel in Ferensway, where asylum seekers were living at the time.
Drinkall was seen in that area looking towards the hotel and advancing towards police. He was apparently throwing an object and talking to others. He was in Jameson Street at 3.30pm when fights broke out and he threw punches, although it was not known whether any of them landed.
Drinkall was, even though it was August, wearing a coat, with his hood up and a baseball cap underneath, in a “clear attempt” to hide his face, the court heard.
The current figure for the cost to the police of the trouble that day was £270,000 and 28 police officers had been affected and injured from assaults during the whole incident.
Drinkall had a conviction for possessing an offensive weapon, involving a road rage incident 16 days after the violent disorder. He confronted somebody who had been driving closely behind him. That person got out of his vehicle and had a baseball bat, which Drinkall matched. Drinkall had been given 80 hours’ unpaid work and 30 days’ rehabilitation by Hull magistrates in February. He had not, at the time, been charged with the city centre violent disorder.
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Benjamin Donnell, mitigating, said that Drinkall seemed to have been a spectator at first in the violent disorder but he became more involved. “It was more of a reaction to what was happening with the police line,” said Mr Donnell. “He did not actually throw anything. He pretended to throw a missile. The officer would have felt threatened but nothing was actually thrown.” During the second incident in Jameson Street, Drinkall was in the second row helping to provide “strength in numbers” there.
“A fight broke out but this defendant didn’t throw the first punch,” said Mr Donnell. “He didn’t play a leading role. He later tried to break it up. He was clearly part of a much larger disorder. This was widespread at the time.
“He is remorseful for the part that he played in this violent disorder.” Unemployed Drinkall had a one-year-old son. There was a reference from his mother.
Drinkall, who was on bail, was jailed for 20 months.
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