Man admits kicking police during disorder

A man has admitted violent disorder after he was seen kicking officers during a riot in Sunderland.

John Paul Kirtley, 26, of Rutherglen Road, in the city, pleaded guilty at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court, after handing himself in at Southwick police station on Sunday

He was remanded and will be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on 22 August.

Det Ch Insp Graeme Barr, of Northumbria Police’s major investigations team, said: "Our net is tightening all the time as we trawl through hundreds of hours of footage and intelligence to find those who have played any part in the region’s recent disorder."

It follows a night of unrest in Sunderland on 2 August.

Mr Barr added: "We will continue to do everything in our power to ensure they are held accountable."

Meanwhile, another man admitted to violent disorder following unrest in Sunderland.

Jack Fowler, 24, of Beaumont Terrace, Newcastle, appeared before magistrates in South Tyneside.

He was remanded in custody, with sentencing scheduled at Newcastle Crown Court on 23 August.

Also at South Tyneside Magistrates', a 35-year-old man from Murton, County Durham, pleaded not guilty to violent disorder in Sunderland on the same night.

In addition, he denied one count of possessing articles with intent to cause criminal damage and one count of possession of a Class B drug, relating to items discovered during protest activity in Newcastle on Saturday.

He was also remanded into custody and will stand trial on 20 August.

Meanwhile, a 34-year-old man has admitted to sharing a video on TikTok in an effort to stir up racial hatred.

James Aspin, of Blyth, Northumberland, pleaded guilty to distributing the recording, during a hearing at Bedlington Magistrates' Court.

The Crown Prosecution Service said the charge related to a video published on TikTok on or before 8 August.

He was remanded into custody and is due to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on 19 August.

Unrest spread across the country after three young girls were stabbed to death in Southport on 29 July.

So far, 927 people have been arrested and 466 charged in relation to the disorder, a spokesman for the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said.

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