A Labour councillor called for far-right protesters to have their throats slit and made a throat-cutting gesture at an anti-racism demonstration following the Southport murders, a court has heard.
Ricky Jones, 58, is on trial for encouraging violent disorder after allegedly making inflammatory comments to a “tinderbox” crowd in Walthamstow, east London, last August. The Dartford borough councillor faces one count of encouraging violent disorder at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
Prosecutor Ben Holt told jurors that Jones used “inflammatory, rabble-rousing language” when he addressed the crowd through a public address system, calling demonstrators “disgusting Nazi fascists” before declaring: “We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all.”
Viral Video Captures Comments
The court heard that Jones, dressed in a black polo top and surrounded by cheering supporters, drew his finger across his throat as he made the comments. Video footage of the incident went viral on social media following the 7 August protest.
The demonstration had been organised in response to plans for a far-right march outside the nearby Waltham Forest Immigration Bureau. It came amid nationwide unrest following the Southport attack in which Axel Rudakubana murdered three young girls.
Mr Holt said: “Last summer, three young girls were killed at a dance party in Southport. There was some hysteria… Some of that grief manifested itself in anger, and regrettably, violence.”
Labour Party Warning Ignored
The court was told that Jones had been explicitly warned by the Labour Party not to attend the demonstration. A letter sent to him urged councillors to follow police advice “not to take part in, attend or encourage others to attend, any sort of demonstration or counter demonstration.
“He attended in the face of considered advice not to do so,” Mr Holt told the court. “At Walthamstow that day, rumours had spread that there was going to be a protest outside an immigration centre.”
The prosecutor emphasised the volatile nature of the situation, asking: “What did Mr Jones think was going to happen?”
Context of National Unrest
The Walthamstow protest occurred during a period of intense national tension following the Southport murders on 29 July 2024. Rudakubana, then 17, killed Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6, during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
He also attempted to murder eight other children and two adults in the attack. Rudakubana was sentenced last week to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 52 years after pleading guilty to all charges.
The horrific attack sparked widespread unrest across England, with far-right groups exploiting misinformation about the attacker’s identity to fuel anti-immigration protests. Rudakubana was born in Cardiff to Christian parents from Rwanda.
Apology in Police Interview
Jones, who served as a councillor in Dartford, Kent, from 2019, was suspended by Labour the day after the alleged incident. He was arrested and charged within 48 hours of the protest.
During his police interview, Jones told officers he was “sorry” for making the comments “in the heat of the moment” and claimed he had not intended for them to be “taken literally,” according to Mr Holt.
The Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges against Jones for encouraging violent disorder after he was “filmed addressing a crowd in Walthamstow on Wednesday 7 August during which he appeared to make remarks and a gesture to encourage others to act violently towards far-right protestors.”
Defence Position
Jones has pleaded not guilty to the charge. His defence barrister, Hossein Zahir KC, previously indicated that while Jones accepted the words had been spoken, he denied knowing that the offence of violent disorder would be committed.
The trial follows a seven-month delay after an application to break the original fixture was approved by Judge Oscar Del Fabbro. The case had initially been scheduled to begin in January but was postponed until this week.
Political Ramifications
The case has drawn significant political attention, with figures including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage sharing the footage to millions of followers on social media. The incident highlighted tensions within Labour over how to respond to far-right demonstrations.
Jones had been warned specifically about the heightened tensions across the country “due to the threat of further violent disorder” in the days leading up to the protest. The Labour Party’s letter reminded all councillors to follow police guidance.
The prosecution argues that Jones’s comments came at a particularly sensitive time when “violence could readily have been anticipated” given the nationwide unrest following the Southport attack.
Trial Continues
Jaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London North, previously emphasised that Jones “has the right to a fair trial” and warned against any commentary that could prejudice proceedings.
The trial, being heard by Judge [name not specified in sources] at Snaresbrook Crown Court, is expected to examine whether Jones’s words constituted encouragement of violent disorder under the law.
If convicted, Jones could face significant penalties for encouraging violent disorder, an offence that carries serious consequences particularly given the context of nationwide unrest at the time.
The trial continues.
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