Farnham man jailed over violent protest outside Aldershot hotel
Around 200 people gathered outside Potters International Hotel in July
A man from Farnham has been jailed for more than two years for taking part in a violent protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Aldershot.
29 year old Perrie Fisher was among 200 protesters who gathered at Potters International Hotel on the 31st of July.
Fisher was arrested at Gatwick airport on return from his Dubai holiday on August 19 after he did not appear at magistrates' court following the incident.
He was brought before Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on Tuesday (20 August) where he pleaded guilty to violent disorder and a bail act offence.
Winchester Crown Court on Wednesday heard how 85 families were living in the hotel and there were people inside the accommodation in "great fear" of what was going to happen to them.
Around £1,900 worth of damage was also caused from the disorder after a small group of protesters got into the hotel car park at around 6.40pm and more and more joined them.
Judge Nigel Lickley KC described how Fisher threw the children's scooter "with force" at the hotel and there was a loud bang and cheering from the crowd as a result.
The bikes had been provided for the hotel residents to use, the court heard.
Prosecutor Tim Devlin said a large crowd started shouting 'illegals out,' 'we want our community back' and 'f*** off'.
He added the police were "massively outnumbered" and the situation was "rapidly getting out of hand".
In mitigation the court heard the act was "out of character" for the new dad who felt remorse for what he had done.
Sentencing Fisher, Judge Lickley said the occupants of the hotel were the "real target" of Fisher's actions which were fuelled by hostility over race and religion.
"The sole purpose of activity, of which you were one, was to intimidate and frighten the occupants of the building", he said.
"The mob you were part of was very intimidating."
He added that while Fisher had asked for his court hearing to be adjourned before going on holiday he showed a "cavalier attitude to the courts and serious offence you faced" by missing his court date.
Fisher was sentenced to 29 months' imprisonment for both offences.
He will be released from prison after serving half of his sentence and will spend the rest on licence, the judge said.
Assistant Chief Constable Tara McGovern said: "While the majority of people who attended this protest in Aldershot were respectful, Fisher chose to act in an aggressive manner and his behaviour spiralled out of control.
"His behaviour that day caused fear of violence to those inside the hotel and our officers.
"This result highlights that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated and it is a clear message that these actions have consequences.
"Our officers conducted a thorough investigation, and worked quickly with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure swift justice is carried out.
"This should serve as a warning to anyone else considering trying to bring mindless violence to our streets and that the minority who seek to cause disorder will face the full force of the law."