David Finn hurled a glass bottle at police officers as violence erupted on County Road in Walton
A thug “acted the hard man” outside a pub but quickly regretted it. David Finn hurled a glass bottle towards police officers as violent scenes erupted on County Road in Walton following the fatal stabbings of six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice Da Silva Aguiar in Southport in July.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Thursday, that crowds began to gather in the area from around 6pm on August 3, with the disturbance then continuing over the following five hours. This saw shops looted, industrial wheelie bins set on fire, missiles including fireworks launched at PCs and Spellow Library broken into and torched.
Nardeen Nemat, prosecuting, described how Finn was captured on CCTV footage shortly before 8.30pm with a group of others at the junction of Walton Road and Spellow Lane in a cap and a blue On Cloud tracksuit. The 37-year-old, of Neston Street in Walton, was shown throwing a bottle towards police at the scene before retreating to the Royal Oak pub, speaking to a child on the street outside and then putting on a face mask.
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He was arrested at the same public house on September 26, at which stage he told officers “all of this because I acted the hard man and threw a bottle”. Finn has a total of 28 previous convictions for 48 offences including robbery in 2006, possession of cannabis with intent to supply in 2005, 2008, 2010, 2015 and 2019, racially aggravated harassment in 2017 and facilitating unlawful immigration in 2023.
John Rowan, defending, told the court: “Mr Finn was aware from the moment he was arrested that he would be facing an immediate custodial sentence. He was arrested in the same pub seen in the footage.
“It is his local. He lives a matter of yards away from the Royal Oak public house. He was drinking in the public house from the glass that the court has seen. He has said that he would not have become involved had his judgement not been clouded by what he had had to drink. Regrettably, he threw a bottle in the direction of the police.
“It did not cause any injury, and the police were some way up the street at the time. It was stupid and foolish, and he is completely ashamed.
“He has a long and unenviable record for various offending. He was released from prison in March and this is his first recall on licence. While there have been some issues with regards to substance abuse, he completed his time in approved premises on a curfew. When he returned home, he was engaging to a good extent.
“When it became known that he was having problems again with cocaine, he engaged well with drug services and was about to attend a thinking skills programme. He was speaking to associates with regards to employment in the construction trade, but that has gone by the by now.”
Finn admitted violent disorder. Appearing in the dock two days before his 38th birthday, he nodded to a woman in the public gallery and said “you alright?” as he was led to the cells after being jailed for 22 months.
Sentencing, Recorder Richard Pratt KC said: “Following the tragic and terribly sad deaths of three young girls, the community of Southport collectively mourned and sought to grieve and comfort those whose lives had been shattered. Some, however, shockingly invaded the town from other parts of Merseyside and beyond to try to turn that vigil into vandalism.
“In the days following, violence erupted across the nation. Communities lived in fear of intimidation and violence. Shops were looted, houses were attacked and fires were set to further inflame the violence.
“It is against that background that the events of the 3rd of August needs to be viewed. It is clear that the disorder developed to a frightening scale. The footage captured makes the streets of Liverpool look like a warzone.
“Your participation earlier on must be seen as part of the ongoing escalating picture. I note that you were the only person, at that time, to behave in that way. Although it has been said that you were acting under the influence of drink, you appeared to be calm and smiling in enjoyment of that in which you were participating.
“There is an overwhelming obligation on the court to do what they can to ensure the protection of the public. Those who quite deliberately choose to participate in disturbances of the magnitude we have seen at the end of July and beginning of August must expect to receive severe sentences, intended to punish them and deter others.
“Your participation was said to be short lived, but nonetheless was significant. The fact that you were on licence and your numerous previous convictions are serious aggravating features, as was the fact that your act was no doubt targeted towards police officers who were protecting the community.”