Cutting throats comment made ‘in heat of moment'

Independent

2 days ago

A Labour councillor who called for far-right protesters' throats to be cut at an anti-racism protest told police the 'ill-advised' comments were made 'in the heat of the moment', a court has heard.
In the wake of rioting following the Southport murders, Ricky Jones, 58, described demonstrators as 'disgusting Nazi fascists', his trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court was told.
A video showing Jones, who at the time was also employed as a full-time official for the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) union, addressing the crowd in Walthamstow, east London, on August 7 last year went viral on social media after the protest.
Wearing a black polo top and surrounded by cheering supporters, the now-suspended councillor said: 'They are disgusting Nazi fascists. We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all.'
He also drew his finger across his throat as he spoke to the crowd.
Jones was arrested on August 8 last year and interviewed at Brixton Police Station that night.
A prepared statement submitted on Jones' behalf at the police station read: 'Yesterday at a rally in Walthamstow, I made a comment on microphone to a large crowd.
'I accept that these comments were particularly ill-advised.
'I was referring specifically to an incident the day before where some far-right activists had stuck a 'National Front Rights for Whites' sticker on a train and hidden a razor blade behind it in order that anyone trying to remove it would injure themselves.
'This had made me very upset. I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s when the National Front were very active and I experienced a great deal of racism in my youth.
'I did not intend for my comments to be taken literally by anyone and I did not intend to encourage or incite anyone to commit violence against any other.
'I am, however, extremely sorry for making the comments which were made in the heat of the moment and I very much regret having done so.
'I was not invited to speak on microphone until the last minute and I had not planned or thought about what I was going to say in advance.'
Jones, who has been a borough councillor in Dartford, Kent, since 2019, was suspended by the Labour Party the day after the alleged incident.
A medical report by experts from the prosecution and defence agreed that Jones 'suffers from a number of neurodivergent challenges', jurors were told as part of agreed facts.
These include 'impaired verbal comprehension potentially leading to misunderstanding the impact of his words' and 'slower cognitive processing meaning he may not have evaluated the situation in real time'.
Jurors were also told testing had established Jones suffers from 'impulsivity increasing the likelihood of reactive speech' and 'emotional arousal which can override deliberate decision-making'.
The agreed facts read by prosecutor Ben Holt stated: 'The experts agree that these challenges may contribute to impulsive verbal responses in emotionally charged situations.
'These challenges can impair his ability to plan responses and inhibit inappropriate remarks. This could lead to Ricky Jones making regrettable statements when he is unprepared.'
The prosecution's medical expert, Dr Scott Mackenzie, said Jones' difficulties appeared 'functionally on the milder side as demonstrated by his ability to successfully work in senior roles where he has to speak publicly'.
The defence's medical expert Dr Alison Beck said Jones' difficulties were 'statistically and clinically significant'.
The demonstration had been organised in response to plans for a far-right march outside Waltham Forest Immigration Bureau, jurors were told.
It followed the nationwide violent disorder that occurred last summer after the Southport murders.
Jones, of Dartford, denies one count of encouraging violent disorder.
Judge Rosa Dean told jurors on Tuesday morning that a person had 'tailgated' them into a secure area of the court on Monday after CCTV footage was reviewed.
The judge added: 'It's perfectly clear that the person who tailgated has absolutely nothing to do with this case and that person is not welcome in this court.'