Two men have been sentenced in televised hearings for their roles in the violent riots that erupted in Southport following the tragic killing of three young girls at a community center.
John O’Malley, 43, and William Nelson Morgan, 69, were each sentenced to 32 months in jail at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday. O’Malley, from Southport, was found guilty of violent disorder, being part of a mob that caused significant damage outside a mosque. Morgan, a semi-retired welder, admitted to violent disorder and possession of a wooden cosh during riots in Walton.
The disturbances, which followed the deaths of Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, led to widespread violence, with over 50 police officers injured. Both men were described as being at the forefront of the violence, with the judge noting their enthusiastic participation despite Morgan’s advancing age.
These cases have been fast-tracked as part of efforts by the police, prosecutors, and the government to send a clear message about the consequences of such disorder. Additional sentences related to the riots are expected to be handed down across the country in the coming days.
