A 40-year-old grandfather wearing an England flag who ran straight at a police officer at a protest “like a rhino” has been jailed.
Ryan Wheatley, of Malvern Close, Fair Oak, Hampshire, admitted running into Sergeant Rob Perry at the demonstration in Southampton on August 7.
Southampton Crown Court heard how Wheatley went alone to the protest to express his views against illegal immigration after seeing the plans on Reddit.
He joined a group of 10 men in Grosvenor Square who were being kept separate from a group of around 400 people chanting ‘Refugees are welcome here’, the court heard.
Officers then saw him heading round the back of a multi-storey car park to “get out and attack the counter protesters from the rear”.
Bodyworn footage played to court showed Wheatley, also wearing face mask, running as Sergeant Perry was shouting “move back now” before colliding with him.
He was tackled to the ground and Pava sprayed.
Judge Christopher Parker KC said: “It is perfectly clear in bodyworn footage … you clearly intended to take part in violence which occurred, if not to instigate it.
“Police officers do not go to work expecting to be set upon by idiotic violent hooligans.”
He added: “Sergeant Perry told you to stay back but instead you broke into a run towards the officer, arms raised.
“You are a large man, heavily built and no doubt intimidating.
“You steam-rollered yourself into the officer who stood his ground in order to protect members of the public.”
The judge said in “ordinary life” an assault of that nature would not attract a prison sentence but that in this case it was highly aggravated by the victim being a police officer and it being a “highly inflammable public order situation”.
Prosecuting, Andrew Houston said that during a police interview after the incident, Wheatley told officers he saw someone throwing something and he went round the car park to speak to him and “express his views peacefully”.
He added: “(He) accepts he didn’t put too much thought into how his actions would be perceived.
“He said he wasn’t affiliated in any political group, said he wasn’t a racist said he wasn’t far-right.”
Defence counsel Keely Harvey said that Wheatley “did not have intention to barrel into anyone” and wanted to apologise to Sergeant Perry, adding: “It was not a deliberate attack on him.”
Wheatley was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, half to be spent in custody and the rest on licence with a further 12 months’ post-sentence supervision.