A Blackpool dad has been jailed for leading lawlessness that erupted during an anti-immigration protest in the resort.
Roger Haywood, 41, of Yew Tree Road on the Grange Park estate, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court this afternoon for violent disorder and attacking police officers.
After pleading guilty at an earlier hearing, Haywood, who has previous convictions for violence, stalking and being drunk and disorderly, was sent to prison for a total of 30 months.
Judge Robert Altham, speaking during a rare televised sentencing just before 1pm, said Haywood led a mob and was “clearly in the lead”.
He said: “Your aim was clear: you wanted to create a serious, violent and dangerous incident."
Ordering Haywood to stand, the judge added: “The law-abiding people of this country as a whole, and those directly involved in the tragic events in Southport in particular, will be bewildered and revolted that you somehow decided to treat those events as a pretext for what you did.
“Today, you must face up to the consequences of those actions. Everyone must understand that if you engage in this sort of mob violence, you will receive significant punishment.”
Haywood, who was wearing an England top with “Dad 1” on the back during the disorder in the town, and in his mugshot after being arrested, was caught on camera goading police officers and snarling at a police horse.
Described as a ringleader of the events that unfolded in the seaside resort, his case was fast-tracked through the courts in an apparent warning to others.
More than 80 adults have already been sentenced in relation to the violent unrest that broke out in parts of the UK in the wake of the Southport stabbings, in which three young girls were killed, at the end of last month.
That atrocity was quickly followed by misinformation online, which wrongly suggested the suspect is a Muslim asylum seeker.
The area around Talbot Square in the town centre turned into a battle zone on August 3 as the nation faced widespread clashes between far-right groups and anti-racism campaigners.
It came after Lancashire Police issued a dispersal order, warning that intelligence had suggested that “some individuals” were “intent on causing disorder”.
Bottles, chairs and other objects were thrown during the unrest, which was initially centred on Talbot Square and the seafront Metropole hotel, which was chosen by the previous government to house asylum seekers.
A crowd then marched along the Promenade and through the town centre, including the Houndshill shopping centre, where workers hurriedly pulled shutters down.
One video posted online showed people trying to force up the shutters at JD Sports before attacking Houndshill security workers.
Judge Altham told Haywood: “There was no political, no ideological basis for taking to the streets. And so, on August 3, the people of Blackpool and the Lancashire Police were braced for violence. And you, along with several hundreds of other people, were on the street that day, ready to cause injury and disorder.
“It was a sunny Saturday in the school holidays. In the course of the disorder, racist language was used and one person suffered serious injury, though you were not present when that serious injury was caused.”
Describing Haywood’s actions on the day, the judge said he squared up to police in a “narrow, pedestrianised retail area”, understood to be Victoria Street, where there was a “noisy scene and a highly volatile situation as an angry group including (the defendant) confronted police officers”.
He told Haywood: “You repeatedly approached the police line, jabbing a finger at them and ignoring their many requests to move away.
“Next, you were seen leading a large group down the Promenade. Some had flags. Some had their faces covered. You were at the front with your hands above your head, turning round to beckon them on. You were clearly in the lead.
“You led this large group into a pedestrianised shopping area where there were families with young children. The group you led had fallen behind but you turned and called them on. One pushed over a sign as he went along. One, who was right next to you, carried a red chair and hit out at a rope barrier as another kicked at it.
“These people were right next to you. This was a very ugly, intimidating scene with you in the lead.”
The judge continued: “On a separate video, you were seen at one point remonstrating with a group across a police line. At one point, you tried to push through that line headfirst. You had to be physically pushed back by police officers on two occasions.
“You and the mob you had led went into the confined space of an indoor shopping centre. Again, you were raising your hands above your head. Brave security staff - vastly outnumbered - accompanied the group to try and ensure order and protect shoppers and staff. Members of the public were getting out of the way.
“The staff at JD Sport were trying to bring down the shutters in response to the disorder but you and others tried to stop the shutter going down. Two members of the security team intervened and you turned on one, security officer Hart, and pushed him aggressively before trying to set about him. In the event, others took over the attack you had started and you were pushed away.”
The security guard was not seriously hurt, the judge said, but was forced to endure what “must have been a terrifying experience”.
He told Haywood: “Of course, you didn’t perpetrate all of the violence against security officer Hart, but where you lead a mob and encourage them and start violence, you cannot then seek to cast the blame on others. And, to be fair to you, you haven’t sought to do that.
“Because when you join in mob violence, you bear your share of the responsibility for what the mob does.”
After the protest route took demonstrators back to Talbot Square, tensions threatened to simmer over into full-blown violence.
A passing motorist had a side window on his car smashed by a bottle, while police horses and dogs - one of which tore a flag from protesters’ hands - were used to disperse the crowd, which chanted support for far-right figure Tommy Robinson and phrases such as “stop the boats” and “England ‘til I die”.
Police officers shouted “missile” as bottles, vapes and other objects were hurled their way, while one masked figure kicked the wing mirror off a police van.
Roger Haywood in Blackpool on 3 August. Credit: The Blackpool Lead
Judge Altham said Haywood told police officers guarding the nearby war memorial that they were outnumbered “10 to one” - making an “unmistakable threat”.
He told him: “Next was unforgivably dangerous. Behind you was a group of angry, shouting people. However, they were at a significant distance from the police lines. You chose to turn your back on the police and face the mob. You shouted to them to the effect of the police would not let you through and, then, with your arms, you beckoned them on to breach the police lines.
“The crowd moved forward in response and we hear the shout of ‘missiles’ as at least one item is thrown at police.
“Despite the obvious danger to them, the officers were completely professional thanks to their skill and professionalism. And, despite your best efforts, your actions did not result in serious injury to others at that time.”
The judge said Haywood “still regard(ed) himself as a leader” and took a loudhailer from someone and tried to make his voice heard - only to be scuppered by his own drunkenness.
“(You) were apparently too intoxicated to work out how to use the loudhailer,” he said.
“From the statement of the officers, we know that as the police return to their van, you were seen in the middle of a scuffle, throwing punches,” he added.
“You try to run away but were tackled to the floor and arrested. When the police officers tried to put you in the van, you refused, bracing your legs and shouting abuse. You kicked out at the officers, landing two kicks on one officer’s hand and one to another officer’s arm.
“Thankfully, no significant injury was caused to those officers.”
Amid the fracas, hundreds of people marched from Talbot Square towards St John's Square, where punks attending the annual Rebellion were gathered.
With little to no police presence, fights broke out in the square after bottles were thrown towards the punks.
One punk stepped forward out of the crowd but was headbutted and shoved backwards.
He fell, hitting his head with a crack on the ground, where he remained unconscious as a man on a motorbike drove at protesters, one of whom aimed a kick at him.
Police eventually arrived, on horseback at first, and a number of the protesters fled.
The injured punk, who was given immediate aid by a passer-by who said he was an off-duty paramedic, was then treated by a police medic before an ambulance crew turned up.
He was given oxygen and helped from the square to a waiting ambulance in a wheelchair.
Police later revealed the man had suffered a broken skull and a bleed on the brain and appealed for the public’s help in catching his attacker. The man has since been released from hospital, The Blackpool Lead understands.
Speaking after Haywood was sentenced, Ass Ch Con Phil Davies of Lancashire Police said: “Haywood not only chose to be violent himself, but he actively encouraged others to use violence too, and I welcome the custodial sentence handed down on him today.
“This sentencing shows just how seriously violent disorder is being taken in our county. It will never be tolerated or taken lightly, and this sentencing is the first of many that we will expect to see over the coming weeks and months.”
Sarah Gallagher, district crown prosecutor for CPS Northwest, said: “When a violent mob descended on Blackpool…, Roger Haywood took a leading role in the disorder, encouraging others and behaving aggressively towards members of the public and police officers.
“As the group of men, women, and children continued across the Lancashire town and into Houndshill shopping centre, Haywood tried to prevent the shutters coming down on a sports store, assaulting a security guard as they tried (to) protect the shop. He went on to kick two police officers following his arrest.
“This vile behaviour cannot go unchallenged. Those taking to the streets, taking part in violent conduct and spreading fear in our communities must face the consequences of their actions.
"Make no mistake, those who have taken part in the lawlessness of the last few weeks will be caught, convicted and sentenced appropriately.
“We will continue to work side by side with the police and our partners across the criminal justice system to ensure justice is delivered robustly and swiftly.”
The court today was told Haywood went through a “spate of early offending”, including for violence, though he had no convictions from 2013 to 2022.
The judge said: “However, since then there have been offences of drunk and disorderly and stalking, for which you received a community order, which you subsequently breached. You tell me through your counsel - and I accept - that you have suffered recent illness, the loss of a relationship; that you have developed a problem with alcohol. She tells me that you are sorry and wish to apologise to those affected.”
The judge told Haywood today his “offences were committed against the background of widespread disorder across the region and indeed the country in the wake of the tragic killing of three young girls in Southport”.
He said: “One cannot begin to imagine the grief and despair suffered by the families of those young children killed and indeed injured.
“People from all communities who make up the British public offered solidarity by either laying flowers, standing in peaceful condolence or by silently and respectfully holding the bereaved families in their hearts and in their prayers.
“Whereas others - such as you - decided to usurp this terrible incident as an excuse for mindless, drunken thuggery.
“Earlier that week there had already been serious disorder following the events in Southport, so everyone knew that so-called demonstrations were merely pretext for violence and expressions of hate.”
There's lots of ways you can support our work as The Blackpool Lead, from a one-off donation, to a monthly payment through to shopping for The Lead branded merchandise too. It all helps support our independent, in-depth, journalism.
The Blackpool Lead is now on Substack.
Become a Member, and get our most groundbreaking content first. Become a Founder, and join the newsroom’s internal conversation - meet the writers, the editors and more.
