Kidderminster man who tried to incite riots jailed

A man from Kidderminster was today starting a two-and-a-half year jail term for trying to incite a riot – telling others there was "loads to be smashed" on a website page.

Danny Cook, aged 22, set up the Letz Start a Riot page on Facebook on August 9 this year at the height of the riots nationwide.

Worcester Crown Court yesterday heard the page had attracted 44 members although it was only open to friends of Cook.

The court was told Cook had written comments on the page inciting others to riot in Kidderminster, Worcester, and Droitwich.

The court heard he had posted comments saying how he did "not want to sit back and watch".

He ended another post with the words "I want in".

The court was told Cook had also posted a poem on the site which read: "The riots are going on in Birmingham and London.

"Tell you what, I don't want sit back, because I want to join them."

Cook, of Marlpool Place, Kidderminster, pleaded guilty to a single charge of intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of theft or criminal damage.

Miss Mary Wallace, prosecuting, said Cook had been arrested on August 10 after a member of the public saw the page and called the police.

"In interview he told police he had started the page as a joke," she said.

"He accepted it was stupid and he said he had created the page out of boredom."

Miss Abigail Nixon, defending, said Cook had deleted the web page after just 30 minutes, after confessing to his parents.

He told his mother about the page first and his father then came down heavily on him and told him to delete the page.

"It was an immature example of a sick form of humour on his part," she said.

Mr Justice Butterfield, presiding over the case, said he had no choice but to send him to prison, given the circumstances.

He said: "I accept you are remorseful for what you did.

"However I would be failing in my duty if I did not impose a considerable custodial sentence in this case."