A man told
police officers they have a "s*** firm" while threatening to burn down a hotel housing asylum seekers. Footage of Christopher Shelley, 45, was played today in where he appeared to be sentenced for violent disorder following the ugly scenes outside the hotel on February 10 last year. The initially peaceful protest against the housing of asylum seekers in the hotel turned violent when a crowd of between 250 and 300 people threw bricks and bottles at police officers and set
fire to a police vehicle. . However, Shelley failed to appear to court today, Friday, March 15 with presiding judge Denis Watson KC issuing a bench warrant for his arrest. However, the sentencing, which is due to conclude on Monday, March 18 continued in the absence of Shelley. Martyn Walsh, prosecuting, showed the court video footage of Shelley shouting “‘we are going to burn that hotel to the ground and smash their f***ing heads in”. Shelley continued: “My name is Chris Shelley and I don’t give a f***, lets f***ing have it, fucking d********, s***house c****. Let’s f***ing have it, I’ve been waiting 20 years for this, rapist b******”." Shelley was then heard shouting to the police: “First person you grab, it’s going off. We’re waiting for yous, I’ll take you out. Yous have a s*** firm. That dog, let it off, I'll kick its head in.
ISIS rapists, I'll do 20 years in , I’m not arsed.” Mr Walsh said that Merseyside Police had initially received reports “which stated that members of the English Defence League were going to attend" the hotel on Ribblers Lane, which was "housing refugees and immigrants". The initially peaceful
protests turned violent when a line of police officers were forced back when members of the crowd threw glass bottles which resulted in a riot van being left unguarded. Mr Walsh said: " . The police then fell back into a stronger, more enforced cordon. "Because of the escalating crowds and level of violence, they put on their protective gear. At this point in the evening, officers were bombarded with various missiles, for example rocks and bottles. There was an officer injured by a concrete slab. The crown would submit that fireworks were being directed towards the police." Mr Walsh said very few arrests were made on the night. He said: "A number of five police vehicles were damaged over the course of the evening. The police carrier was completely burnt out. The costs to repair were £83,686. The disorder continued and fireworks were aimed at officers. Several officers were injured and one required hospital treatment." Mr Walsh said "a majority of the evidence" against those who were put before the courts came from footage obtained by a police drone, body worn camera footage of the PCs who attended the scene and "evidence gathering officers" who were "tasked with recording events". Four men - Thomas Mills, 47, Brian McPadden, 61, Paul Lafferty, 42, Jonjo O'Donoghue, 21 - were . Shelley, Liam Jones, 25, Harry Boynton, 20, John Tippler, 59, and Warren Cullen, 21 had already pleaded guilty to the same charge. Jones and Shelley pleaded guilty at
Liverpool Crown Court in July 2023, while the other three men pleaded guilty at magistrates' court at an earlier date. Today's sentencing heard Cullen could be clearly seen throwing missiles at police officers, while "aggressive" Tippler chanted "send the f****** back" and pushed at the police cordon. Boynton was seen "striking the windscreen of a police vehicle" with a metal pole stolen from officers, while Jones threw "an object" at officers after he was pushed. Footage of McPadden showed him shouting "we protect our own, you are not from , these are t****. They’re hiding behind the f***ing curtains watching us now. Cheeky b*******" towards the police and the asylum seekers inside the hotel. Mills climbed onto the burnt out police vehicle holding a banner which said "let’s shout get them out". Lafferty was heard shouting at police officers "you f***ng bullies, you are provoking the violence" and O'Donoghue was seen lighting fireworks and firing them towards officers. All of the defendants were told they could face "immediate custody" and were remanded in custody over the weekend. The representation of all the defendants offered mitigation for their clients, except Shelley, whose mitigation will be presented to the court on Monday morning. Mills, of Park Brow Drive, Kirkby; Lafferty, of Quarry Green, Kirkby; McPadden, of Britonside Avenue, Kirkby; O'Donoghue, of Stanley Street, ; Tippler, of St Kevin's Drive, Northwood; Shelley, of Delfby Crescent, Southdene; Cullen, of James Holt Avenue, Kirkby; Boynton, of Sherdley Walk, Kirkby and Liam Jones, of Birkin Close, Kirkby will learn their fate on Monday morning at Liverpool Crown Court. The ECHO will continue its live blog of the sentencing on Monday.