An ‘armchair thug’ who used social media to urge far-Right yobs to ‘smash the f***’ out of a hotel housing 200 asylum seekers was today jailed for 20 months.
Jordan Parlour became the first man to be sentenced over Facebook posts relating to the violent disorder sweeping the UK since the Southport murders on July 29.
The 28-year-old sign installer, who could not take to the streets himself as he had a broken heel, incited protesters to target the Britannia Hotel in Leeds near his home.
Parlour was sent to prison by Recorder of Leeds Judge Guy Kearl KC at the city’s crown court this afternoon after being remanded into custody on Tuesday.
He had pleaded guilty to stirring up racial hatred and using threatening, abusive or insulting words in connection with the disorder.
‘Armchair thug’ Jordan Parlour, 28, who has been jailed for 20 months at Leeds Crown Court
Jordan Parlour from Leeds could not take to the streets himself because he had a broken heel
The court heard how Parlour posted on Sunday about the Britannia Hotel in the Seacroft area of the city, which was home to 210 refugees and asylum seekers.
He said on Facebook: ‘Every man and their dog should be smashing f*** out Britannia Hotel.’
The court heard Parlour posted the comments after the hotel had been targeted with people throwing missiles and breaking windows, and more attacks happened later.
The post was before a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham was attacked, the court was told.
The judge accepted Parlour took no part in the violence but said: ‘There can be no doubt you were inciting others to do so, otherwise why post the comments?’
Nicholas Hammond, defending, told the judge his client was ‘not part of any sinister group activity designed to stir up violence’ and was ‘not affiliated with any group’.
Jordan Parlour turned to social media to incite protesters to target a Britannia Hotel in Leeds
The court heard that his mother wrote a letter to court which said: ‘We can only speculate he’s been caught up and swept away by emotions circulating throughout the country.’
Parlour admitted publishing written material intended to stir racial hatred earlier this week. He appeared to blow a raspberry as he was led from the court.
It comes after Home Secretary Yvette Cooper hit out at ‘armchair thugs’ inciting violence during unrest that has spread across Britain over the past ten days.
Also today, Tyle Kay, 26, is due to appear at Northampton Crown Court charged with publishing written material which was threatening, abusive or insulting, intending thereby to stir up racial hatred.
His online posts are also connected to the widespread disorder, and he was previously remanded in custody.
Elsewhere, former Labour councillor Ricky Jones, 57, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court after being charged with one count of encouraging violent disorder after he was filmed addressing a crowd at a London demonstration on Wednesday evening.
In another first since the recent widespread disorder began, a man who encouraged people to start a riot on social media became the first person from Wales to be convicted.
Richard Williams, 34, of Buckley, Flintshire, posted about taking part in a riot and shared a derogatory meme about migrants in a local Facebook group dedicated to protests, Mold Magistrates’ Court heard.
Williams pleaded guilty to one count of sending menacing messages via a public communication network and will be sentenced on Friday afternoon.
Four people also face jail at Newcastle Crown Court following violent disorder in Sunderland.
In Southampton, Ryan Wheatley, 40, pleaded guilty to assault by beating of a police officer at a protest in the city on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks with Metropolitan Police boss Sir Mark Rowley and other senior officers in front of CCTV screens at Lambeth police headquarters in London today
Gareth Metcalfe, 44, admitted violent disorder in his home town of Southport on Tuesday, the day after three girls were killed in a fatal knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club.
At Inner London Crown Court, Ozzie Cush will be sentenced for assaulting an emergency worker in Westminster on July 30.
Teesside Crown Court will see three Middlesbrough rioters and one Darlington rioter face prison sentences and in Sheffield, Kenzie Roughley, 18, will be sentenced for violent disorder outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham.
Suspected rioters will also be appearing in magistrates courts across the country, including in Liverpool, Llandudno, South Tyneside and Wirral.
At least a dozen people were jailed on Thursday for their part in the riots.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said swift justice, including sentencing, has been a deterrent to more violent disorder.
