‘Violent mob’ at Epping asylum hotel protest attacked police, court hears

A “violent mob” at an asylum hotel protest attacked police officers and turned Epping into “a scene of disorder and chaos”, a court has heard.

Lee Gower, 43, and Phillip Curson, 53, of Upminster, deny committing violent disorder during demonstrations outside The Bell Hotel in Essex on July 17 last year.

Gower, of Epping, also denies assaulting a police officer during the protest.

Multiple protests were held outside The Bell Hotel over the summer, after asylum seeker Hadush Kebatu was charged with the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl.

The Ethiopian national, who arrived in the UK on a small boat days before the incidents, was later found guilty of five offences – including sexual assault – at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court.

Kebatu was jailed but wrongfully freed from HMP Chelmsford in October, before he was detained and deported to Ethiopia later that month.

Opening the trial on Tuesday, prosecutor Sam Willis said both defendants were part of a “violent mob”.

He told jurors at Chelmsford Crown Court: “This case is about an incident of serious and sustained public disorder arising from a protest in Epping in July of last year.

“Although the protest began peacefully, it became violent – and these defendants are alleged to have been part of an aggressive mob that resorted to repeated acts of violence and vandalism – turning the town of Epping into a scene of disorder and chaos.”

Mr Willis said violence from Gower, Curson and “others, both identified and unknown” included “punching, kicking, throwing, pushing, and shoving – mostly aimed at police officers and police vehicles, but also sometimes aimed at the counter-protesters”.

He told jurors that six people had already pleaded guilty to violent disorder relating to the protest on July 17.

The prosecutor said crowds started to gather outside The Bell Hotel from around 4pm on July 17 – with 400 to 500 people attending the protest.

At about 5.30pm, around 50 counter-protesters arrived at Epping train station and were escorted by police officers towards the hotel.

As this was being done, protesters outside the hotel started to run up the road to confront the counter-protesters, with police attempting to keep the two groups separate by implementing a cordon, the court heard.

Mr Willis said: “From that point on until around 10pm, what had been a peaceful protest descended into serious public disorder in the streets of Epping.

“Police officers were subjected to sustained attacks, including acts and threats of violence. Officers were grabbed, pushed, punched, and kicked.

“Police vans were kicked and damaged. Objects were repeatedly thrown towards the officers and counter-protestors. Damage was caused to public property.”

Mr Willis said video shows Gower “pushing and grappling with Chief Inspector Austin” as police try to prevent protesters and counter-protestors coming together at 6.09pm.

In the video, which was shown to the jury, Gower, wearing a baseball cap, a black top and shorts, appears to continually push the officer as he is told to “get back”.

Moments later, Gower and Curson “push and grapple with police officers trying to keep the two groups apart” and Curson “tries to kick a police officer as he walks past”, the prosecutor said.

At around 6.22pm, Gower “appears to throw something at the counter-protesters, and he then lunges at them before the police drag him back”, the prosecutor said.

A member of the crowd appears to kick a counter-protester at 6.30pm and then other protesters, including Curson, “kick out at the police officers trying to deal with the situation”.

At 7.55pm, a group including Gower “push, grapple and fight with the police officers forming the cordon keeping the groups separate”, the court heard.

Later, Gower and others attempted to block police officers and vehicles with a bin and objects taken from nearby roadworks.

As the police drive through the barriers the group used to block the road, “Gower and others attack the police vehicles”, the court heard.

Essex Police Chief Inspector Lee Devall told jurors on Tuesday that police escorting counter-protesters and forming a cordon was a “common tactic”.

He added that police officers had “come under attack from the protest group after they put a barricade in the road”.

Barrister Tony Wyatt told jurors Gower used force “in response to what he believed was unlawful force of a police service that had taken sides”.

Mr Wyatt added: “His belief was that when the police came there, they came there on the side of counter-protesters.

“They turned up with the counter-protesters and brought the counter-protesters to the site and it was the belief of Lee Gower that they had chosen sides – they were not there to police the matter, they were partisan.”

Barrister Stefan Bisson told jurors that Curson was “in the wrong place at the wrong time” having been at the nearby George and Dragon pub with his partner before the protest, adding that any physical force used was “in self-defence or in defence of others”.

Mr Bisson said any “nasty language” from Curson did not amount to violent disorder and was “just him becoming a little bit upset about what happened earlier in the day” having become separated from his partner in the crowd.

Gower, who was arrested in Gloucester on July 24, gave a prepared statement to police “denying using unlawful violence and stating that he had been acting in self defence and to prevent any escalation of violence or disorder”.

He also denies assaulting an emergency worker.

Curson, who was arrested on July 28 after walking into Chelmsford Police Station, denies using or threatening unlawful violence.

The trial continues.