Nine in court for Nottingham rally offences

Nine people have appeared in court following their part in the unrest in the Nottingham City Centre on Saturday 3 August. They were among 20 people arrested for their conduct during the far-right rally and counter protest in the city.

Hearings have been taking place at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court in the weeks following the events in the centre of Nottingham.

Janine McKinney from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “The arrests, charges, convictions and sentences we have seen over the last weeks make clear the consequences for those criminals on our streets and on social media. These individuals have paid the penalty that awaits anyone caught wreaking such havoc.

“We will continue to work at pace, alongside partners in the criminal justice system, to put anyone whose conduct has crossed the line into criminal behaviour before the courts to face the full consequences of their actions.”

Paul Dixon, 35, Tony Campion, 29, David Witney, 39, and Dominic Lane, 46, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court to face charges of using threatening words or behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke violence for their part in an escalation of hostility involving an Asian male victim. Dixon pleaded guilty on 15 August and Campion pleaded guilty at a hearing on 16 August. Both were sentenced to four months’ imprisonment. Witney pleaded guilty on 22 August and was given a three-month sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was ordered to complete 200 hours’ unpaid work, attend five days’ rehabilitation requirement, complete a six-month alcohol treatment programme and to engage with the probation service. Lane pleaded not guilty and will face trial in October. A fifth defendant, Keith Edwards, 81, was also charged in relation to this incident and will appear at the same court on 6 September.

Anthony Chadwick, 36, from Nottingham appeared on 22 August for using threatening words or behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke violence. Chadwick came to the protest drunk, shouted threats of violence to police officers and tried to hype up the people around him. He was fined £365.

Kevin Musgrave, 37, from West Hallam in Derbyshire appeared on 15 August for assaulting an emergency worker and criminal damage. He tried to obstruct police officers from making an arrest when things threatened to boil over into violence. He pushed a police officer to the ground and spat in the police van and in his cell after he was arrested. He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court, pleaded guilty and was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for a year and ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work and to pay £150 in compensation.

Joshua Witts, 36, from Long Eaton, appeared at Derby Magistrates' Court on 20 August, pleading guilty to using threatening words or behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke unlawful violence. He will be sentenced on 27 August.

Owen Lawrence, 18, from Nottingham and Mervyn Lewis, 40, from Edwalton also appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 15 August and pleaded not guilty. Their cases were adjourned for trial later in the year.

These court appearances follow the conviction and sentencing of Victoria Gray on Monday 3 August.