Brothers at the front of mob rioting in Rotherham jailed for three years

Paul and Luke Sissons attacked a police van and were part of a crowd confronting cornered officers outside a hotel housing asylum seekers.

Paul Sissons pleaded guilty to violent disorder (Handout/PA) (PA Media)

Two brothers who were at the front of a mob attacking police officers guarding a hotel housing more than 200 asylum seekers have each been jailed for three years.

Luke and Paul Sissons were involved a range of violent incidents outside the Holiday Inn Express, in Manvers, Rotherham, on August 4, including an attack on a police dog van and violent confrontations with riot officers, Sheffield Crown Court heard on Friday.

Paul Sissons – who is a tunnelling team leader on the HS2 project – was filmed over a period of nearly four hours, first in a mob shouting at police and chanting “Tommy Robinson”, a judge was told.

Sissons, 37, of Two Gates Way, Barnsley, was then captured as part of a group that violently rocked a police van with officers and a dog inside, and was later seen throwing missiles at a group of cornered officers.

Body-worn camera footage from an officer holding a riot shield was also shown to the court of Sissons angrily kicking and pushing at the police line as they tried to push the crowd back.

His brother Luke Sissons, 34, of The Green View, Shafton, Barnsley, was also part of the mob rocking the van, and footage was shown of him at the front of group goading officers with riot shields who were pinned against the hotel wall.

Video was also shown to the court of Luke Sissons talking to a police officer before the main violence began.

It was a frightening incident and the young officers who were on that cordon must have been terrified by that mob.

Judge Jeremy Richardson KC

He tells the officer he is a “wanker” and then asks him: “Why do you run away from immigrants, but when we do anything you f****** cosh us?”

Sissons also tells the officer: “I f****** hate police officers. You’re grasses,” and: “I f****** hate immigrants.”

Dermot Hughes, defending both brothers, pointed out that they were both hanging their heads in shame on the videolink as the footage was shown to the judge.

He said they are both “thoroughly ashamed of their parts in this”.

Mr Hughes said Paul Sissons, who shouted that he was not a racist on the prison videolink during the hearing, had had a well-paid job which was now in jeopardy, stressing that he was very well thought-of by his employers.

The Sissons brothers are the latest of more than 20 men who have now been jailed at Sheffield Crown Court by Judge Jeremy Richardson KC following the Manvers disorder, which saw 58 police officers, three police dogs and a police horse injured, and involved rioters breaking into the hotel and trying to set the building alight.

Judge Richardson said to the brothers: “You were right at the front of the mob attacking those police officers.”

Referring to the footage of the small group of officers coming under attack against the wall of the hotel, he said: “It never ceases to frighten me, and I have the advantage of watching it days after the event in the security of this court room.

“It was a frightening incident and the young officers who were on that cordon must have been terrified by that mob.”

Both men pleaded guilty to violent disorder at a previous hearing.