THE decision to clear a Labour councillor who encouraged a crowd to cut the throats of protesters has been slammed by furious Nigel Farage as an “outrageous example of two-tier justice”.
Ricky Jones was filmed at the anti-racism demonstration in Walthamstow, East London, after the Southport murders last summer making a slashing gesture across his neck.
Ricky Jones has been cleared of violent disorder
AFPHe made the comments at an anti-racism march in Walthamstow[/caption]
GettyReform UK leader Nigel Farage has blasted the decision[/caption]
He branded far-right demonstrators as “disgusting Nazi fascists” and said “we need to cut their throats”.
But Jones has now been found not guilty of one count of encouraging violent disorder following just over 30 minutes of jury deliberation.
Reform UK leader Mr Farage said: “This is another outrageous example of two-tier justice.”
His statement was echoed by ex-Reform chairman Zia Yusuf, who said who said the “two-tier justice in this country is out of control” as Jones was cleared “while Lucy Connolly gets 31 months in jail”.
He added: “The UK is now a country in which those who have the correct ‘regime’ political views can openly call for their political opponents to be brutally murdered, be filmed doing so, and face no criminal consequence.
“A watershed moment in British politics.”
Tory councillor’s wife Connolly was caged for 31 months for a tweet about the Southport riots.
The childminder had shared a social media post just hours after three girls were knifed to death in Southport last summer.
She wrote: “Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the b******* for all I care…
“If that makes me racist, so be it.”
Connolly launched a bid against her “harsh” sentence but this was thrown out by Court of Appeal judges.
Her husband Raymond Connolly, who is Conservative vice chair of the committee on adult social care at West Northamptonshire Council, said she had been shown “no mercy”.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp told The Sun: “It is astonishing that this Labour councillor who was caught on video calling for throats to be slit is let off scot free, whereas Lucy Connolly got 31 months prison for posting something no worse.
“The development of two tier justice is becoming increasingly alarming.
“It cannot have been a question of uncertain evidence as the man was on video clearly calling for violence.
“The government must come forward with plans to ensure justice is handed out equally, regardless of the background or views of the perpetrator – but as far as I can see this Labour government seems to be quite happy with two tier justice.”
Former Tory Housing Secretary James Cleverly said in a post on X: “This unacceptable. Perverse decisions like this are adding to the anger that people feel and amplifying the belief that there isn’t a dispassionate criminal justice system.”
Jones, 58, had attended the protest in August last year following the murders of Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, in Southport.
The representative for Dartford, Kent, was told by his party to stay away but attended regardless before being suspended.
During a court hearing today, prosecutor Ben Holt said: “Last summer, three young girls were killed at a dance-themed party in Southport.
“There was some hysteria… Some of that grief manifested itself in anger, and regrettably, violence.”
The horror brought out counter-protests, one of which Jones decided to go to, the prosecutor explained.
Mr Holt continued: “He attended in the face of considered advice not to do so.
“During that event, he made a speech, amplified through a public address system, to the crowd.
“He called the other side disgusting Nazi fascists. He said that their throats needed to be slit.
“He drew his finger along his throat as he said that.
“This, in a setting where, we suggest, violence could readily have been anticipated.
“We ask rhetorically, what did Mr Jones think was going to happen?”
Jones later told police his speech was a response to seeing stickers planted on trains by far-right group National Front.
He claimed they contained concealed razor blades and included the words: “National Front Rights for Whites”.
The councillor also apologised for the comments but said they were not meant to be “taken literally”.
Following the video of his speech being shared, Jones received a message telling him he was “on BBC News”.
Jones was said to have appeared “satisfied” and told the contact: “I served”.
He also co-authored a declaration on behalf of Labour, that read: “There is no excuse for what we’ve seen. No possible justification.
“This is mindless criminal thuggery, fuelled and perpetrated by the far right spreading their divisive, destructive ideas on the streets and on social media.”
The court heard Labour had sent out an “instructive” email referring to the Southport rallies taking place across the UK at the time.
It told its councillors to “follow the clear advice” issued by police, which urged anyone “not to take part in, attend, or encourage others to attend any sort of demonstration or counter demonstration”.
But Jones alegedly chose to “ignore” the advice, with the video showing him making a “conscious” decision to take to the stage and ask an aide to film his speech.
In his evidence, Jones described the mood in the crowd at the time as “happy and joyful”.
The father-of-four and grandfather also told the court he felt “horrified” after realising what he had said.
“When I had time to view the footage after the demonstration, I was shocked at what I had actually said,” he told jurors.
dartfordlabourRicky Jones branded far-right protesters ‘Nazi fascists’[/caption]
APJones had been urged to stay away from the protest by Labour[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
