A grandfather jailed for violent disorder and abusing police at an anti-immigration riot this summer has become the first rioter to die in prison.
Peter Lynch, 61, described as a conspiracy theorist at his court hearing, is believed to have taken his own life on Saturday night at HMP Moorland near Doncaster in south Yorkshire, according to prison service sources.
Lynch was jailed for two years and eight months on Aug 22 after pleading guilty to violent disorder in a hearing at Sheffield Crown Court.
The court was told Lynch went to the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, Rotherham, on Aug 4 with a placard which called police officers, MPs and the media “corrupt”.
Lynch shouted “racist and provocative remarks” towards officers and called asylum seekers in the hotel “child killers”, the Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, told the court during his sentencing.
His death in jail will now be investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.
A prison service spokesman said: “HMP Moorland prisoner Peter Lynch died on Oct 19 2024. As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.”
Family Man
“Family man” Lynch, who recently had a heart attack, had gone to protest at the hotel against immigration, his defence barrister told the hearing in August.
He had “a general conspiracy theory against anyone and any form of authority”, and his placard referenced the “deep state” and space agency Nasa. Video played to the court showed Lynch “revving up” the situation before it turned violent, the Recorder said.
He was filmed calling the police “scum”. His sign and protest was not unlawful, but his verbal abuse towards police officers during the “racist incident” crossed the line, the Recorder added.
Lynch, of Burman Road, Wath-upon-Dearne, was a “full participant” in the disorder, the court was told. “You were unquestionably endeavouring to rev up the situation the best you could,” the Recorder added.
Lynch’s placard stated that police chiefs, reporters, civil servants, judges and the Environment Agency were all “corrupt”.
More than 1,511 arrests
Police have made more than 1,511 arrests linked to the summer riots and, together with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), have brought around 1,000 charges.
The arrests came amid a prison overcrowding crisis, with the jails in England and Wales almost running out of space on the weekend of the August bank holiday after the riots.
Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, has since introduced an early release scheme in which prisoners – including many of those convicted for rioting – are eligible to be freed 40 per cent of the way through their sentences rather than halfway.
Terrorist, sexual and specific domestic abuse offences are excluded from the scheme – as are those sentenced to more than four years in jail for violence.
Lynch would have been eligible, having been sentenced to under four years in jail for a violent offence.
Ian Acheson, a former prison governor and government adviser, said: “Any death in custody is a tragedy. Not all can be prevented.
“However, the profile of this offender, rightly jailed for his role in rioting, suggests to me he ought to have at least been considered as a suicide risk.
“The investigation which must take place after a fatal incident in a prison will need to explore this in relation to his vulnerability and care.”
Article from the Telegraph:
A grandfather jailed for violent disorder and abusing police at an anti-immigration riot this summer has become the first rioter to die in prison.
Peter Lynch, 61, described as a conspiracy theorist at his court hearing, is believed to have taken his own life on Saturday night at HMP Moorland near Doncaster in south Yorkshire, according to prison service sources.
Lynch was jailed for two years and eight months on Aug 22 after pleading guilty to violent disorder in a hearing at Sheffield Crown Court.
The court was told Lynch went to the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, Rotherham, on Aug 4 with a placard which called police officers, MPs and the media “corrupt”.
Lynch shouted “racist and provocative remarks” towards officers and called asylum seekers in the hotel “child killers”, the Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, told the court during his sentencing. His death in jail will now be investigated by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.
A prison service spokesman said: “HMP Moorland prisoner Peter Lynch died on Oct 19 2024. As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.”
Family Man
“Family man” Lynch, who recently had a heart attack, had gone to protest at the hotel against immigration, his defence barrister told the hearing in August.
He had “a general conspiracy theory against anyone and any form of authority”, and his placard referenced the “deep state” and space agency Nasa. Video played to the court showed Lynch “revving up” the situation before it turned violent, the Recorder said.
He was filmed calling the police “scum”. His sign and protest was not unlawful, but his verbal abuse towards police officers during the “racist incident” crossed the line, the Recorder added.
Lynch, of Burman Road, Wath-upon-Dearne, was a “full participant” in the disorder, the court was told. “You were unquestionably endeavouring to rev up the situation the best you could,” the Recorder added.
Lynch’s placard stated that police chiefs, reporters, civil servants, judges and the Environment Agency were all “corrupt”.
More than 1,511 arrests
Police have made more than 1,511 arrests linked to the summer riots and, together with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), have brought around 1,000 charges.
The arrests came amid a prison overcrowding crisis, with the jails in England and Wales almost running out of space on the weekend of the August bank holiday after the riots.
Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, has since introduced an early release scheme in which prisoners – including many of those convicted for rioting – are eligible to be freed 40 per cent of the way through their sentences rather than halfway.
Terrorist, sexual and specific domestic abuse offences are excluded from the scheme – as are those sentenced to more than four years in jail for violence.
Lynch would have been eligible, having been sentenced to under four years in jail for a violent offence.
Ian Acheson, a former prison governor and government adviser, said: “Any death in custody is a tragedy. Not all can be prevented.
“However, the profile of this offender, rightly jailed for his role in rioting, suggests to me he ought to have at least been considered as a suicide risk.
“The investigation which must take place after a fatal incident in a prison will need to explore this in relation to his vulnerability and care.”
This happened in England?
Is Mahmood not a native indigenous English name?
One wonders, especially now.