Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Arson at Asylum Seekers’ Hotel During UK Riots, Reports Reuters

A British man was sentenced to nine years in prison for committing arson at a hotel housing asylum seekers, marking the longest sentence issued in connection to a series of anti-Muslim riots.

Thomas Birley, 27, admitted to starting a fire in an industrial bin situated at an entrance of the hotel near Rotherham, England, on August 4. The blaze posed a significant threat to the lives of guests and staff, who were inside the hotel seeking shelter.

Prosecutor Elisha Kay reported that Birley exacerbated the fire by throwing additional wood into a bin that was already ablaze, which was placed directly in front of a fire exit. Hotel staff were trapped in a panic room, fearing they would perish in the flames.

In addition to arson, Birley also pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon. During sentencing at Sheffield Crown Court, Judge Jeremy Richardson characterized Birley’s conduct as deeply rooted in racism, stating that he had been incited to join the riots by harmful and uninformed social media posts.

The judge condemned Birley as a significant player in the “ignorant, racist attempts at mob rule.” The hotel where the incident occurred was subject to attacks by approximately 400 individuals during a spate of unrest that involved violence, arson, looting, and racially motivated assaults, following the deaths of three young girls in Southport on July 29.

Initially, the tragedy was incorrectly attributed to an Islamist migrant as a result of misinformation spread online, while a man from Cardiff has since been charged with murder.

The violent protests erupted in Southport the day after the girls’ deaths, igniting riots nationwide that resulted in around 1,300 arrests and nearly 200 individuals incarcerated. Before Birley’s sentencing, the longest term given for involvement in the riots had been six years for violent disorder, with others facing charges related to instigating racial or religious hatred online.