Men sentenced over 'hostility escalation' at protest

Two men who played their part in an "escalation of hostility" towards an Asian man at a city centre protest have been sentenced.

Hundreds of people gathered near Nottingham's Brian Clough Statue in King Street as part of demonstrations organised by rival groups on 3 August.

Tony Campion, 29, and David Witney, 39, pleaded guilty to using threatening words or behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke violence at two separate hearings at Nottingham Magistrates' Court.

Another man - 35-year-old Paul Dixon - had previously been jailed in relation to the same incident, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Appearing at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on 15 August, Dixon pleaded guilty to using threatening words or behaviour with intent to cause fear or provoke violence, and possession of cannabis.

After watching the footage in court, district judge Sunil Khanna concluded Dixon had thrown "the first punch" and sentenced him to four months in prison.

Campion, of Whitcombe Gardens, Nottingham, was the second man to be sentenced in relation to the incident, the CPS said.

He was jailed for four months after pleading guilty to the same charge on 16 August.

A third man charged with the same offence, Witney, of Tennyson Avenue, Gedling, was handed a suspended sentence on Friday.

He was given a three-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

Nine people have so far appeared in court following their part in the unrest in the Nottingham city centre.

They were among 20 people arrested during the demonstrations, when rival groups were separated by officers.

The events in the city, however, were described by police as "largely peaceful" at the time.

Janine McKinney, from the CPS, 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."

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