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A taxi driver who received one of the longest sentences for disorder following the Southport attack has lost his bid to challenge his prison term. Andrew McIntyre was jailed for seven and a half years in January for encouraging violent disorder, criminal damage and possession of a knife.
The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal on Thursday, with Lord Justice Holroyde ruling that the sentence was not excessive. McIntyre's barristers had argued he should have received greater credit for his guilty pleas.
Appeal bid rejected
After the knife attack in Southport on July 29 last year, McIntyre set up a Telegram channel called "Southport Wake Up". He shared content from sites linked to Tommy Robinson, Britain First and For Britain about a protest planned for July 30.
In one post, McIntyre wrote: "Rise Up English Lads. 8pm tomorrow St Luke's Rd Southport." Hours before violence erupted, he posted: "Message to All … Stand in our way, even if you're just doing your job … prepare to fall."
Phone evidence places him at scene
Liverpool Crown Court heard that McIntyre's phone was in the area of St Luke's Road at 7pm on July 30. The car he was later arrested in was also in the area when disorder broke out.
Over the following days, McIntyre congratulated those involved in the violence and shared information about immigration advisers. He was arrested in Liverpool on August 8 with a knife found hidden in his car boot.
Weapons and extremist material found
When officers searched his home, they discovered weapons and a copy of Hitler's Mein Kampf. Judge Neil Flewitt KC said McIntyre was "motivated by racial hatred" and was "prominent" among those spreading misinformation after the attack.
McIntyre's sentence is believed to be the second-longest handed down for Southport-related disorder, with the longest believed to be nine years. His barrister Julian Nutter argued the sentence should have been "about a year less" to reflect his guilty pleas.
Court rejects mitigation plea
Arthur Gibson, for the Crown Prosecution Service, told the hearing that McIntyre had not accepted full responsibility even after entering guilty pleas. The judge was entitled to use his discretion in determining any reduction for the pleas, Gibson argued.
Lord Justice Holroyde, in his final judgment before retirement, said McIntyre had "incited violence and criminal damage by many people at different locations on multiple occasions". The judge noted that McIntyre had delayed entering his pleas until it suited him and continued to contest aspects of the case against him.
McIntyre, formerly of Rufford near Ormskirk, watched the proceedings by videolink from HMP Garth in Lancashire. The Court of Appeal ruled that if he wanted greater credit for his pleas, he should have entered them at an earlier stage.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
