Man denies 'encouraging murder' amid scenes of violence across Merseyside

A man has denied encouraging others to commit murder amid violent scenes across Merseyside. Disturbances flared up in Southport, Liverpool city centre and Walton following the fatal stabbings of six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar last month.

Police vans were set alight and officers were attacked on St Luke's Road in the seaside town on the evening of July 30. A planned protest at the Pier Head the following day then descended into violence, with Merseyside Police forced to use riot gear as bricks and debris were thrown towards PCs.

The disorder continued on County Road that night as chaos, violence and destruction ensued and looters targeted businesses in the area. This included a fire being started at Spellow Library and Community Hub and the building being broken into.

Andrew McIntyre, of Cousins Lane in Rufford, has since been charged with two counts of encouraging or assisting an offence in connection with the disturbances. Charge sheets allege that he published "electronic communications which were capable of encouraging or assisting the commission of one or more offences of murder" and "capable of encouraging or assisting the commission of one or more offences of violent disorder and criminal damage" between July 28 and August 8.

The 39-year-old was brought before Liverpool Crown Court this morning, Friday, in order to face these charges. Appearing in the dock wearing a grey Under Armour t-shirt and sporting short dark hair and a beard, McIntyre pleaded not guilty to both offences and a third offence of possession of a bladed article in a public place which alleges that he was carrying a "folding pocket knife" on Smithdown Road on August 8.

Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: "In simple terms, the allegation here is that this defendant is the administrator of an online group. The suggestion is that he has encouraged followers of that group to commit murder and to take part in disorder that has recently been taking place across Merseyside."

McIntyre is now scheduled to face a two-week trial beginning on February 3 next year and was remanded into custody ahead of case management hearing on November 4. He nodded, put his hand to his heart and blew a kiss to his parents in the public gallery as he was led down to cells.