THE Warrington man jailed for four years for using a social networking website to incite public disorder at the time of the August riots has lost his appeal against the severity of his sentence.
Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan (pictured), 22, of Richmond Avenue, Westy must serve the four year sentence, the Court of 
Appeal has ruled.
A 21-year-old Northwich man, Jordan Blackshaw, 21, also failed in his appeal against a four-year sentence for a similar offence.
Last month, lawyers for the two men argued that the four year jail sentences were “manifestly excessive.”
The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, sitting with Sir John Thomas and Lord Justice Leveson at the Court of Appeal in London, rejected the appeals.
Lord Judge said the two men had used technology for crime and it was wrong to suggest their offences had been minor simply because they had not gone door-to-door encouraging people to riot.
He said: “It is a sinister feature of these cases that modern technology almost certainly assisted rioters in other places.
“What both these appellants intended was to cause very serious crime. All this was incited at a time of sustained countrywide mayhem.”
Lord Judge said the sentencing judge had been fully justified in deciding that deterrent sentences were appropriate.
He said: “These offenders were caught red-handed.”
The men had both admitted using the social networking site Facebook to encourage crime in Warrington and Northwich, although there were no outbreaks of disorder in either town.
But rumours swept across Warrington that rioting was about to break out and, as a result, a number of businesses closed early.
Internet riot man loses appeal
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About Author
Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
6 Comments
well….. he won’t do that again!
Not for four years anyway, although I rather sense that he’ll actually be out in less than two. One hopes that whilst inside, he will learn some skills so that on his release he will become a useful, rather than a useless, member of society. It is a pity that bankers and the like who actually wrecked our economy and whose actions have brough such hardship and misery to businesses and households aren’t also doing time inside.
Good!
What length of sentence did those who were caught rioting in other areas eventually get any idea ?
Well he will have plenty time to reflect on the folly of his stupid prank (if indeed it was a prank and not a real attempt to create a riot in Warrington). It is said that it was just a joke but I have now doubt he would have ‘bathed in the glory’ of knowing he had started a riot had it kicked off, and boasted about it with his friends.
The Court of Appeal has just published its judgment on the first set of appeals.
http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/5299518C-5C4B-43B0-B22D-0EF69DA06124/0/rvblackshawothers.pdf
It doesn’t make for happy reading for this idiot. “That leads us to address the suggestion that perhaps this level of public disorder should be treated as “mindless” activity. It was undoubtedly stupid and irresponsible and dangerous. However none of these appeals involves children or young offenders (where different sentencing considerations arise) nor indeed offenders with significant mental health problems. None of the offenders before us was “mindless”. The actions were deliberate, and each knew exactly what he (and in one case, she) was doing.”