Three men have been handed hefty prison sentences for violent disorder outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex. The hotel houses asylum seekers, and the disorder followed after a migrant resident sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a woman.

At Chelmsford Crown Court, Stuart Williams, Martin Peagram, and Dean Smith all pleaded guilty to violent disorder charges linked to the protests on July 17. Williams, who went onto the roof of a school for disabled children and rang a bell to incite riots, received two years and four months behind bars.

Protests Sparked by Migrant’s Shocking Sex Assault

The unrest erupted after Ethiopian national Hadush Kebatu, 38, was jailed for 12 months at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court last month for the sex assaults. Kebatu arrived in the UK just days earlier on a small boat.

Despite his serious crime, the protesters who caused violent disorder were sentenced to tougher terms. This has ignited fury, with many questioning the justice system’s handling of the situation.

Chaotic Scenes and Police Under Siege

• On July 17, around 500 protesters gathered, parading with a flatbed van bearing a ‘Protect Our Kids’ sign.
• Violence erupted with protesters shoulder charging police, throwing cans, and pushing officers for over four hours.
• Protester Peagram, with 14 prior convictions, kicked police officers and obstructed their lines; he was jailed for two years and two months.
• Dean Smith, 51, punched a police shield and shoved officers, receiving a 22-month sentence.

Essex Police described it as the worst disorder in 20 years in the area.

Costly Protests and Racial Motives

The Epping protests have cost Essex Police more than £1.6 million so far, with thousands attending marches and counter-protests.

Judge Jamie Sawyer said the protests were “partly racially motivated” and that these defendants crossed the line “from protest to criminality.”

Other Migrant Offenders Also Sentenced

Alongside Kebatu, another Bell Hotel resident, Mohammed Sharwarq, 32, was jailed for 16 weeks for multiple assaults on fellow residents.

Both men’s crimes triggered the wave of demonstrations, which have since engulfed the town and strained police resources.

With public outrage growing over the protest sentences being harsher than those for the migrant’s sex crimes, questions are mounting on the UK’s approach to justice and public safety.