His 'curiosity and stupidity' led him straight into a prison cell

A dad's "curiosity" led to him being hit with batons four times by police officers and PAVA sprayed twice. Anthony Buck says that he was met with such retaliation after launching four missiles towards PCs when scenes of violence erupted in Southport following the fatal stabbings of six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice DaSilva Aguiar.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Wednesday, that a 1,000-strong crowd descended on the Southport Islamic Society Mosque on the evening of July 30 this year, the day after the killings, and chanted "this is our f***ing country", "s***houses", "scumbag b****rds" and "who the f*** is Allah?". Items being hurled towards officers led to more than 50 being injured, while residents' properties were "significantly" damaged and one police van was destroyed by fire at a cost of £100,000.

Christopher Taylor, prosecuting, described how Buck was seen on CCTV in close proximity to Windsor Mini Mart as the shop was looted, with cigarettes, crates of beer and bottles of spirits being taken from inside after the shutters were ripped open. The 52-year-old, formerly of Shakespeare Street, was said to have been "front and centre" as entry was forced to the premises, although he did not enter the store.

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Footage also captured him launching objects towards the police four times in quick succession in his "distinctive" blue Berghaus top. Buck was subsequently arrested at Southport Police Station on August 29.

Under interview, he "admitted throwing several small rocks or stones" and said he was "under the influence of drink" at the time. The defendant told detectives that he had been "PAVA sprayed twice and hit with a baton four times" and said he was "agitated".

Buck meanwhile stated that he could not remember anything he had shouted at the scene, but maintained that it "would not have been racist chanting" as he was "not a racist". He also said he had filmed the events on his mobile phone, but later deleted the footage.

His criminal record shows a total of 23 previous convictions for 32 offences dating back to 1986. This includes an entry for wounding without intent in 1994 and receiving 27 months for possession of heroin with intent to supply in August 2021.

Buck was originally released from this term in July 2022, but was subsequently recalled on licence in February 2023 before being freed again in November last year. Simon Christie, defending, told the court: "He bitterly regrets his part in the serious violent disorder on the streets of Southport.

"The defendant is a native of Southport. He is not one of those who travelled to the scene. He is seen undisguised on the footage. He instructs that he went to the crowd out of curiosity and then, out of pure stupidity, allowed himself to get involved and remained at the scene, and he threw a number of objects towards the police.

"He has responsibilities at home. He has two children, aged 12 and 13, who are being looked after by family members. Having seen the footage, he is quite simply appalled at what he did.

"He is proud of the town and cannot rationally explain why he become involved in it. He quite inexplicably not only got involved, he stayed there for an appreciable period of time - albeit the violence was concentrated into a relatively short period of time."

Buck admitted violent disorder. Appearing in the dock wearing a black North Face t-shirt, he nodded as he was jailed for 28 months.

Sentencing, Judge Denis Watson KC said: "A mob which became a thousand strong gathered near to the mosque. Without any justification at all, the mob attacked the mosque and its community - who were completely blameless - and the police, who were, in the eyes of the mob, at fault for trying to protect those who were their targets.

"The mob laid siege to the police line. There was a violent confrontation. In years passed, it would probably have been described as a pitched battle and it lasted a considerable amount of time.

"The events which you were part of sparked a series of incidents of mob violence in other places in the days and weeks which followed, the consequences being far reaching - not just for the people of Southport, but for the people of Merseyside. Those who choose to participate in such disorder which causes injury, damage and fear to communities will, as you now appreciate, inevitably be punished with sentences designed to deter others from similar activity."