Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan and Jordan Blackshaw were jailed for four years
17 August 2011 Last updated at 13:45 ET
A Cheshire man jailed for using Facebook to incite disorder during last week’s riots is to appeal against his prison sentence.
Jordan Blackshaw, from Marston, was jailed for four years at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, along with Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan, 22, from Warrington.
Blackshaw’s barrister said his 21-year-old client and his family were “somewhat shocked by the sentence”.
Sutcliffe-Keenan’s solicitor has said he too may appeal against his sentence.
The judge said on Tuesday he hoped the sentences would act as a deterrent.
The men both admitted encouraging crime in Northwich, although there were no outbreaks of disorder in the town.
Blackshaw and Sutcliffe-Keenan pleaded guilty under sections 44 and 46 of the Serious Crime Act to intentionally encouraging another to assist the commission of an indictable offence.
Blackshaw’s solicitor, Chris Johnson, of Moss Haselhurst solicitors in Winsford, said his client and his family were “somewhat shocked by the sentence”.
Meanwhile, a 19-year-old in Gloucestershire who posted Facebook messages encouraging people to vandalise a shop during last week’s riots has avoided court.
Joshua Moulinie posted a message on his Facebook wall urging people to damage the Spar store in his home town of Bream, Forest of Dean.
But instead of facing the courts, Mr Moulinie – who said it was a “blatant joke” – was told to write a letter of apology to the shop owner.
Mr Johnson said the comments made by Blackshaw also “started as a joke”.
“Obviously it was rather misplaced and misguided,” he added.
“We are not aware of anyone taking up the call that they made.
“Northwich, as far as we understand, has remained peaceful.”
Rebecca Tanner, from Tranters solicitors in Manchester, said Sutcliffe-Keenan may appeal against the sentence on the grounds that it was disproportionate to the offence.
“I wouldn’t have anticipated it would be as much as four years,” she said.
“Obviously, as a 22-year-old, in his situation, knowing that ultimately whilst he’d been extremely foolish, I think he was shocked, given that his view would be he hadn’t actually caused any physical hurt, or physical harm, or caused any damage as a result of his actions.”
She added: “Yes, we are definitely giving consideration to appealing sentence or applying for leave to appeal.”
The Liberal Democrat peer, Lord Carlile, president of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said he was “surprised” by the sentences.
“The Chester sentence was handed out by a very experienced and highly regarded judge who was reflecting the views of the community he serves.
“But the sentences are heavy, and there are no guideline cases for judges to work from for this situation.
“I would expect the court of appeal to be asked very soon to provide a guideline case or cases so that judges can provide consistent, if severe, sentences around the country.”
‘Restorative justice’
The prosecution said Blackshaw had created a Facebook event called “Smash d[o]wn in Northwich Town”, intended for the receipt of the “Mob Hill Massive Northwich Lootin”.
The page said people should meet on 9 August, between 13:00 and 16:00 BST, “behind maccies” – thought to be McDonald’s in Northwich town centre.
Two more people have been charged with inciting public disorder via social network sites and are due to appear in court on Thursday, Cheshire police said.
A 24-year-old man from Runcorn is due to appear at Warrington Magistrates Court and a 17-year-old male from Crewe will appear at Crewe Magistrates Court.
There has also been criticism of the men’s sentences from MPs, barristers and campaigners, who have said the sentences handed down to some of those involved in riots across England were too severe.
Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake said sentences “should be about restorative justice”, not retribution, while Labour MP Paul Flynn said the government was “throwing away sentencing rules”.
And leading criminal barrister John Cooper QC said he believed some sentences were “over the top” and likely to be overturned by the Court of Appeal.
But Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has said “exemplary sentences” were necessary and that people needed to understand the consequences of rioting, looting and disorder.
from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14557772
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Prime Minister David Cameron has defended courts for handing out “tough” sentences for those involved in the riots across England.
Some MPs and campaigners say there were examples of terms being too harsh.
On Tuesday, two men were jailed for four years at Chester Crown Court for using Facebook to incite riots. One is to appeal against the sentence.
Lord Carlile, Lib Dem peer and Howard League for Penal Reform president, said some decisions were “questionable”.
The barrister told the BBC “ringleaders should receive very long sentences” but warned “there was an issue of proportionality” over the way people already before the courts had been treated.
The PM said it was good that the courts were sending a “tough message”.
Speaking in Warrington, he said: “It’s up to the courts to make decisions about sentencing, but they’ve decided to send a tough message and it’s very good that the courts feel able to do that.”
In other developments:
- The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall visited parts of London hit by recent violence and looting. The Prince’s Trust charity has announced a £2.5m investment in the hardest-hit areas across England
- LEx-Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell, a QC and former leading criminal prosecutor, has said any attempt by MPs to influence judges’ decisions was “not consistent with the rule of law”
- Nottinghamshire Police say the disorder cost it more than £1m in extra policing
- The Metropolitan Police announces that more than 1,000 people have now been charged in connection with riots in the capital
- A teenager who represented her school as an Olympic Youth Ambassador denies offences linked to rioting in Enfield, north London
- A 17-year-old from Suffolk is banned from using social networking sites for 12 months and ordered to observe a three month overnight curfew for using Facebook to encourage people to riot. He admitted an offence of sending menacing messages but said his remarks were not meant to be taken seriously
- One of the men jailed over the Facebook messages after admitting an offence under the Serious Crime Act of intentionally encouraging another to assist the commission of an indictable offence is to appeal against his sentence. The solicitor for the second defendant says he may take the same action
From the court
The Metropolitan Police have now charged more than 1,000 people in connection with the rioting and looting – and 21 of them appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
Chelsea Ives, denied burglary, violent disorder and attacking a police car, and held her head in her hands as she entered the dock. She was remanded in custody until 7 September. She had contacted police herself after a call to detectives by her mother. Her mother left the court in tears.
Almost all of the defendants dealt with by lunchtime were refused bail.
District Judge Nina Tempia said the circumstances of the rioting meant many defendants claiming previous good character could not be bailed.
One defendant denied bail was supported by his family in court, offering bail sureties and guarantees he would be monitored at home. But he went back to jail, shaking his head as he was escorted away.
So far, more than 2,770 people have been arrested in connection with last week’s riots.
Some 1,297 people have now appeared before the courts, with the majority of charges relating to burglary, theft and handling, and violence and violent disorder offences.
In a statement, the Ministry of Justice stressed that the magistrates and judges were independent of government.
A spokesman added: “Their sentencing decisions are based on the individual circumstances of each case and offender.
“That is why different offenders may be given different sentences for what might appear to be similar crimes. To provide a consistent base for these decisions an independent body of experts, the Sentencing Council, set guidelines for them to use.”
Meanwhile, the Courts and Tribunals Service says legal clerks in court have been advising magistrates to “consider whether their powers of punishment are sufficient in dealing with some cases arising from the recent disorder”.
Magistrates are able to refer cases to crown courts which have tougher sentencing powers.
‘Beyond the ordinary’
BBC legal correspondent Clive Coleman said the sentences being handed out across the country for offences of dishonesty such as theft, burglary and receiving stolen goods, suggested there were disparities between courts.
What the public was seeing may just be a “distorted version of the normal system”, our correspondent said.
In another case, David Beswick, 31 from Salford was sentenced to 18 months in prison for handling stolen goods.
Our legal correspondent said under normal circumstances Beswick would have been given a mid-range community sentence.
Max Hill QC, vice-chairman of the Criminal Bar Association said it was not the job of judges “to deliver a political message on behalf of the government” when passing sentence but part of their role was to identify “serious aggravating features that elevate the crime beyond the ordinary”.
He added: “In the case of the two in Chester, it seems that is exactly what the judge has done.”
One serving judge, Charles Harris QC, told the BBC it was not possible for the courts to achieve absolute consistency in sentencing as “no two offences are the same”.
Riot sentences
- Anderson Fernandes, 22, was warned by a judge at Manchester Magistrates’ Court he may face jail for stealing two scoops of ice cream. He will be sentenced next week after admitting burglary.
- Nicolas Robinson, 23, of Borough, south-east London, was jailed for six months for burglary. He took a £3.50 case of water from Lidl supermarket
- Mother-of-two Ursula Nevin, from Manchester, was jailed for five months for receiving a pair of shorts given to her after they had been looted from a city centre store.
“Judge and magistrates do look in the best way they can at the circumstances of the offence and the offender in front of them. In some cases, they might legitimately say, this goes beyond any existing guideline,” he added.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We need to understand that people for a while thought that this was a crime without consequence – we cannot have people being frightened in their beds, frightened in their own homes for their public safety.
“That is why these kind of exemplary sentences are necessary. I think people would be rightly alarmed if that incitement to riot got off with just a slap on the wrist.”
from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14559294
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Each letter of the first name rules 9 years of life. Ages 18 to 27 are ruled by the third letter of the name.
Jordan Blackshaw
Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan
r is the 18th letter of the alphabet
So the number 18 rules both Jordan’s and Perry’s ages eighteen to twenty-seven.
18 = Surreal. Like a bad dream. Craziness.
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using the number/letter grid:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
A B C D E F G H I
J K L M N O P Q R
S T U V W X Y Z
Where:
A = 1 J = 1 S = 1
B = 2 K = 2 T = 2
C = 3 L = 3 U = 3
D = 4 M = 4 V = 4
E = 5 N = 5 W = 5
F = 6 O = 6 X = 6
G = 7 P = 7 Y = 7
H = 8 Q = 8 Z = 8
I = 9 R = 9
Jordan Blackshaw
169415 231321815 52
his path of destiny = 52 = Being taught a lesson.
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using the number/letter grid:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
A B C D E F G H I
J K L M N O P Q R
S T U V W X Y Z
Where:
A = 1 J = 1 S = 1
B = 2 K = 2 T = 2
C = 3 L = 3 U = 3
D = 4 M = 4 V = 4
E = 5 N = 5 W = 5
F = 6 O = 6 X = 6
G = 7 P = 7 Y = 7
H = 8 Q = 8 Z = 8
I = 9 R = 9
Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan
7 5 5
the most important thing he cannot do (PE) and how he lost his heart’s desire (PN) both = 75 = Conspiracy. Heavy losses.
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