Man Jailed After Injuring Hand Throwing Bricks at Police During Disorder

Keelan Woodhead, 25, has been imprisoned after sustaining an injury to his hand while throwing bricks at police during civil unrest that followed the deaths of three young girls in Southport. According to Merseyside Police, Woodhead, whose address is Tilia Green, had journeyed from Telford to Liverpool on August 3. He informed medical staff who treated his injured hand that he hurt it by throwing bricks at police officers during incidents in the city centre and on County Road in Walton. Woodhead admitted to violent disorder and was sentenced to 17 months in jail at Liverpool Crown Court. On Tuesday, at the same court, Christopher Dean, 35, of Byfleet Close in Wigan, also received a prison sentence. Dean admitted to violent disorder in Southport on July 30 and was jailed for two years. Police stated that he was among the initial individuals to directly throw objects, including a wheelie bin, at officers and also participated in racial chanting. A spokesperson for the force additionally reported that a 14-year-old girl was given a 12-month referral order and a £200 fine. She was part of a group that launched projectiles at officers and assaulted a police vehicle and a single officer. The girl, who confessed to violent disorder, also took a pack of soft drinks and money from a shop till. Detective Inspector Paula Jones commented: “We continue to remain steadfast in our investigation to identify more people who attended the disorder in Merseyside by reviewing more than 12,000 pieces of footage, and we will not stop until we’ve put everyone we possibly can before the courts.” Civil unrest erupted in July following a knife attack at a children’s dance event in Southport, which resulted in the deaths of three young girls. This unrest was exacerbated by subsequent misinformation suggesting the suspect was an asylum seeker. Merseyside Police reported that the cumulative number of arrests for disorder in Merseyside has now reached 151 individuals, with 110 charged and 84 sentenced to a collective total of 176 years. For further content, listeners can access the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can also be submitted to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk and via Whatsapp at 0808 100 2230. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.