Tamworth woman jailed after Southport-related riots
It happened in the town in August
A care worker from Tamworth who joined a group of masked and hooded men and livestreamed them making racist comments on TikTok after a Southport-related riot has been jailed for nine months.
Cameron Bell, 23, was caught on CCTV wearing her work uniform as around 20 people, many armed with planks of wood and what appeared to be lengths of metal, walked through Tamworth town centre in Staffordshire on the night of August 4.
Stafford Crown Court was told Bell was not present during violence earlier the same day at the town's Holiday Inn Express, which was set on fire while housing asylum seekers.
Judge John Edwards was shown CCTV and TikTok videos on Tuesday, the latter filmed by Bell after she left work and saw the armed group as she walked home.
Others could be heard making racist remarks on the TikTok footage, while Bell, of Worthing Grove, Tamworth, was heard to swear while referring to asylum seekers as "tramps".
Bell, who admitted violent disorder in September and has been in custody since being arrested, appeared to be on the verge of tears in the dock as her lawyer, Stephen Rudge, told the court she was "on the periphery" of a group which had not confronted anyone.
Mr Rudge said: "Her involvement is to upload the TikTok footage that was not encouraging anyone to join in or extend the violence that had been seen earlier on."
Much of the TikTok stream had been rather amateurish, Mr Rudge argued, giving viewers a view of the "cobblestones in Tamworth" and showing no acts of violence.
Urging Judge Edwards to pass a suspended prison sentence including community work, Mr Rudge said: "This lady has not demonstrated an overtly racist attitude."
Passing sentence, the judge told Bell that members of the group - which was caught on CCTV near to a statue of Sir Robert Peel - were armed and plainly intent on further violence.
The judge said: "In early August a series of disturbances erupted across this country following a tragic incident in late July when three young girls were fatally stabbed at a dance class in Southport.
"The violence was fuelled by misinformation and misplaced far-right sentiment. It spread to various towns and cities across the nation including, as we know, Tamworth.
"A hotel in Tamworth housing asylum seekers was targeted, with significant damage being caused and injuries sustained."
Bell was someone who, through weight of numbers, had pursued an unlawful purpose, the judge said, adding that she had been among a group of about 20 people believed to be heading towards a different hotel in the town.
"This is your first foray into the criminal justice system," the judge said. "You have lost your job as a carer."
Acknowledging that Bell's involvement was at about 10.30pm - "after the worst was over" - the judge said her comments on the livestream were unacceptable and abhorrent and had the "potential to fan the flames".
Rejecting calls for a suspended sentence, the judge concluded: "Anyone involved in violent disorder must command immediate custody, with the need for deterrence being acute."