Man Jailed for Assaulting Police at Anti-Migrant Protest
A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to two years in prison for throwing a plastic bottle and swearing at police officers during a protest in Portsmouth.
Del Somerville, a father of two, has become the first individual to be jailed in connection with anti-migrant demonstrations that occurred in Portsmouth on September 6. The 42-year-old pleaded guilty to violent disorder after he threw a plastic bottle at officers and verbally abused them. The protest erupted following the arrival of a boat carrying 114 asylum seekers, which was escorted to Eastney marina by the Coastguard and RNLI.
During the sentencing, Judge Daniel Sawyer stated that Somerville's two-year prison term would serve as a deterrent to others involved in subsequent protests in the area. The judge referred to Somerville as a "thug" and emphasized that police officers deserve respect and that assaults against them will be punished by the courts. Edward Warren, the prosecuting attorney, detailed that the incident stemmed from the arrival of migrants who had crossed the English Channel from France.