'Appalling conduct' - Drunk egged on protestors in punch-up at anti-immigration rally in Blackpool

A drunk who egged on protestors in a punch-up at an anti-immigration rally in Blackpool has been spared an immediate prison sentence.

Matthew Brown pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly at the demonstration on the seafront in March this year. Because the 36-year-old was already on a suspended sentence when he committed the offence, a judge at Preston Crown Court could have sent him straight to jail.

But despite admitting his conduct at the protest was “appalling” Recorder Sophie Cartwright decided not to send him down immediately and instead added a further six months to the existing suspended term of 18 months.

The court was told Brown, of Talbot Road, Blackpool, had been given the suspended sentence at the Crown Court last year for offences including assault causing actual bodily harm and sharing an intimate image.

On the same day as that hearing he was arrested again in Preston and charged with being drunk and disorderly. Magistrates who dealt quickly with that case were said to have been unaware he was in breach of a suspended sentence because it had not been uploaded to the system so soon after it was imposed. He was fined instead.

Prosecution barrister Tom Challinor told Recorder Cartwright that the drunk and disorderly charge from the Blackpool protest march was therefore his second breach of the suspended sentence. Mr Challinor said that on March 21 this year members of the public had gathered in Blackpool town centre and had been protesting about immigration issues.

“At one point some of the protestors came together and began fighting. People monitoring it let police know there was a flare-up. When CCTV was viewed it appears it was the defendant who was in front, encouraging the fighting. He was suspected as the main instigator of that small flash point.

“Police went to him and he was detained. He was noticed to be intoxicated, staggering about, with slurred speech - classic signs of being drunk.”

Brown refused to give police his name and address and became obstructive, so he was arrested. During the arrest he threatened to assault a police officer who was detaining him. Mr Challinor said Brown had 31 previous convictions for 46 offences going back to when he was a juvenile.

‘Ashamed and remorseful’

Defence barrister Andrew Gurney admitted the first drunk and disorderly offence had been committed in Preston just hours after he had been given the suspended sentence at Crown Court.

His client was now, he said, in a “completely different place” with his life than he was last year. He was working part-time in the building trade while at the same time doing a distance learning degree in construction project management with Bath Spa University.

“He is ashamed and remorseful,” he said. “He does regret his behaviour.”

The offence of failing to surrender to bail had come at a time when his son was ill and he didn’t realise the importance of notifying the authorities. Recorder Cartwright told Brown he should have regarded himself as “incredibly lucky” to be given a suspended sentence in the first place last year.

“Having been given that chance you left court and before you had even made it to Preston train station you were arrested for being drunk and disorderly. That was your first breach committed within minutes or hours of (being given) that order. The magistrates court, it appears, missed that the offence was in breach of a suspended sentence and imposed a fine.

“That should have been a wake-up call. You had been incredibly lucky. However, you have not learnt from it. You fall to be sentenced (again) for being drunk and disorderly which in effect was a second breach.”

The judge said Brown took part in the demo on March 21. “You in particular were identified as a known instigator encouraging fighting. You were detained and refused to give your details. When you were arrested you threatened a police officer.”

She said his behaviour at the demo had been appalling. And because he had failed to attend court on May 1 she had to consider whether to invoke the suspended sentence of 44 weeks, or a portion of it.

“You deserve to go into custody today. But in the current state of the prison system you would probably be released quite quickly. So just, but only just, I have decided to draw back.”

She added six months to the suspension period of 18 months imposed last year. She also ordered Brown to complete 120 hours of unpaid work. In addition she fined him £150 for being drunk and disorderly, £100 for failing to surrender to bail and ordered him to pay court costs of £150.

“This is your last chance,” she told him. “Take that opportunity or the suspended sentence will be activated if you commit any further offence or breach the order.”