Hampshire man admits assault at Southampton protest

Ryan Wheatley, 40 of Malvern Close, Fair Oak assaulted Sgt Rob Perry at the protest at Grosvenor Square on Wednesday night.

Wheatley had become upset at being called a Nazi or a fascist while wearing an England flag and charged at Sgt Perry, the court heard.

Wearing a black Stone Island hoody in the dock at Southampton Magistrates' Court, Wheatley spoke only to confirm his name and admit assaulting an emergency worker.

It comes after protesters and anti-racism counter-protestors faced off divided by a barrier of police officers.

Prosecutor Leah Dillon said: "This happened on Wednesday evening when the defendant decided to join a group of protesters. 

"They were protesting against, they say, illegal immigrants, not wanting them in the country. 

"He had a flag of England tied around his shoulders and he was part of a mob. 

"Police visibility was high that night in order to quell the situation. There were about 400 protesters."

She added that the group Wheatley was with had been "shouting towards the larger group who were anti the protests that these right-wing fascists were taking part in".

She added: "He went around to a car park. He approached the large group of protesters.

"He ran straight into one of the officers, Police Sergeant Perry, therefore assaulting him. 

"He had stormed into the officer, well, barrelled into him as the force used."

The prosecutor said Wheatley had gone to the protest alone and was handed an England flag when he joined up with others. 

In a statement, Sgt Perry said: "I was very concerned about his intentions. I could see Wheatley approaching the group. 

"I then saw Whatley running towards the group so I ran straight towards him and pushed him back."

He used spray to incapacitate him before he was arrested and taken into custody. 

Wheatley, a grandfather, admitted the offence in interview and was produced in court from custody. 

The prosecutor asked the judge to remand Wheatley in custody.

She said the offending "is something that the police and the crown are trying to stomp out as quickly as possible to stop this civil unrest". 

She added: "A message has to be sent to these people."

Police detain a man off Grosvenor Square, Southampton (Image: Alex Shute) Mitigating, Barry Keel said his client has "struggled with issues surrounding drugs" in the past. 

Mr Keel said: "He has been off his script for the last five weeks. He also suffers with COPD."

He said his client had agreed with the counter-protesters and that "his concerns were with illegal immigration rather than immigration per se.

Mr Keel added: "He was concerned and upset about being referred to as a racist and a Nazi. 

"He presents as a fairly unremarkable man of 40 years of age."

Wheatley, who has some previous convictions, was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing at Southampton Crown Court on August 12.

District Judge Tim Pattinson said: "I have decided that there are substantial grounds for believing that there would be an offence if I granted bail. 

"There are also substantial grounds for believing that there would be a failure to surrender. 

"All the circumstances here and seriousness are very important here given the other disorder that has occurred around the country."

The judge indicated that the magistrate courts powers are "insufficient" in this case due to the length of sentence he could expect. He did not order a pre-sentence report. 

The court heard how there has been 140 people charged following violent disorder across the country so far as part of protests, including 14 charges of assaulting an emergency worker. 

As reported, an 18-year-old man from Eastleigh was arrested on suspicion of attempting to cause criminal damage.

A 17-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of wilfully disrupting the M275 in Portsmouth.

Both have been bailed.