Pair given youth detention for migrant hotel attack

Two men have been given custodial sentences for taking part in a violent protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers.

Joe Howell, 20, and Alby Brannan, 18, hurled objects at Potters International Hotel in Aldershot, Hampshire, on 31 July, police said.

The pair, from Ash, Surrey, pleaded guilty at Salisbury Crown Court to violent disorder.

Howell, who also admitted assaulting an emergency worker, was sent to a young offender institution for 22 months, while Brannan was given an 18-month sentence.

More than 200 protesters gathered at the hotel, as part of the rioting that swept across England in the days after the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport, the court previously heard.

A small group of men entered the car park, kicked footballs against windows and damaged blinds and a perimeter wall, the court was told.

The protesters shouted slogans including "we want our country back" and "get 'em gone", leaving hotel residents "petrified", Judge Rufus Taylor previously said.

Howell, of Bareham Drive, hurled bicycles at the hotel and banged on doors, while Brannan, of Winchester Road, threw fireworks, police said.

Assistant Chief Constable Tara McGovern said: “We know that the majority of people who attended this protest in Aldershot were respectful.

"However, Howell and Brannan were part of a smaller group that chose to act in an aggressive and intimidating manner.

“Their behaviour that day spiralled out of control and caused fear of violence to those inside the hotel and our officers. Our message is clear – this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated."

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