A chuckling mob member who filmed a group blocking the doors of a police station as missiles were thrown amid the Manchester Airport ‘stamp’ video controversy has been jailed. Safwan Khan, 25, was in the crowd outside Greater Manchester Police’s Rochdale divisional HQ on July 25.
They gathered after footage of an armed officer appearing to kick and stamp on a man’s head during at incident at Manchester Airport emerged. Minshull Street Crown Court heard crowds congregated from around 10pm.
Most were wearing masks and balaclavas. Missiles including eggs were thrown, with damage caused to a security keypad. The doors were blocked with fencing and road signs, the court heard. Fireworks were also set off.
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Khan, from Rochdale, was seen on CCTV and mobile phone footage wearing a tracksuit with his hood up. He and a group moved fencing to the front door. He was seen throwing a traffic cone.
At one point, he was dubbed a ‘one man army’ by another member of the group who was filming. Khan appeared to ‘take delight’ in the comment, prosecutor Philip Hall said. Khan admitted violent disorder at a previous hearing.
Today (Friday, October 4) he was jailed for a year and nine months. In footage played to the court, a man could be heard using a megaphone, saying: “If we do not get justice, these mother f*****s are going to get it.” Crowds were then heard cheering.
Khan recorded footage and uploaded it to social media, including a video of someone playing the the Peppa Pig theme tune through a microphone outside the station.
“Mr Khan is one of those involved in barricading the police station exit,” Mr Hall said. “They appear to collect road signs and fencing and place it by the front door. He was also involved in throwing a traffic cone at the front of the pile.”
Khan walked away as the crowds dispersed from round 11pm. He was later arrested. An inspector at the station said it was an ‘uncomfortable’, situation bordering on ‘tension and disorder’.
Ellen Shaw, mitigating, said: “The reporting, and misreporting, of what happened raised tensions in the area by various groups. This was unpalatable, unpleasant and concerning, and the defendant was caught up in the mood that took place.
“He is highly embarrassed and concerned about his involvement. In a presentence report, he stated he felt embarrassed and disgusted by his actions and regarded his actions and behaviour as ‘stupid’.”
Jailing Khan, Judge Tina Landale said: “You were part of a mob who deliberately targeted a police station. This was not a group of people exercising a lawful protest or freedom of expression, this was simply a mob exploiting the situation and being used as an excuse for intimidation, threat of violence and vandalism.”
Khan, of Coopers Walk, Rochdale, will serve half his sentence behind bars before being released on licence.
