Andrew McIntyre, a taxi driver from Rufford near Ormskirk, Lancashire, has lost his appeal against a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence for his role in the violent disorder that erupted in Southport on 30 July last year.
McIntyre was convicted of encouraging violent disorder, criminal damage, and possession of a knife following the incident in the Merseyside seaside town. He created a Telegram channel named “Southport Wake Up,” where he shared content related to a protest and incited violence.
Court documents revealed that McIntyre made aggressive posts, including warnings to authorities and calls for violence before the disorder began. His phone was tracked near the scene of the unrest on the evening of 30 July, and a knife was found hidden in his car when he was arrested on 8 August in Liverpool.
Further searches of his home uncovered weapons and a copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf. At sentencing, Judge Neil Flewitt KC stated McIntyre was motivated by racial hatred and was a leading figure spreading misinformation after the attack.
Despite arguments that McIntyre’s guilty pleas merited a lighter sentence, Lord Justice Holroyde dismissed the appeal, ruling that the original sentence was appropriate and not excessive.
McIntyre’s 7.5-year term is reportedly the second-longest sentence related to the Southport disorder, with the longest being nine years.
