Southport rioter hit in head and groin with brick jailed

A Southport rioter seen in viral footage being hit by bricks in the head and groin while taunting police has been jailed for violent disorder.

- ANDY GREGORY

Following the vigil for three children killed in a stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in July, Brian Spencer was captured on CCTV footage acting aggressively and as part of a mob throwing bricks at officers, Merseyside Police said.

As anger boiled over into rioting in Southport, which would later spread to towns and cities across the country, the 40-year-old was identified on CCTV repeatedly punching a police vehicle and picking up and throwing wheelie bins at officers.

But in a clip which quickly went viral on social media, Spencer was seen being hit in the head by a projectile while appearing to mock riot police, moments before another missile struck him in the groin, causing him to stagger back into the crowd.

While police later took him hospital to receive treatment for the head injury he had sustained, Spencer then went on to racially abuse a fellow patient the following day.