Walsall man jailed following violent protest in Dover

A protester involved in violent clashes in Dover last year is

facing eight months imprisonment.

David Ashman, 66 and of Wolverhampton Street in Walsall, travelled to Kent

to participate in a pre-planned political demonstration in January 2016 however,

while he was in the town centre, engaged in violent behaviour.

Sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Wednesday 1 February,

having pleaded guilty to one count of violent disorder.
The court heard that while Ashman was on Dover CCTV :

captured him near a petrol station in Effingham Street, where a disturbance was taking place.

‘Fear for their safety’

He was then seen in Folkestone Road throwing two missiles at a

rival group and aggressively gesturing towards them.

Detective Inspector Bill Thornton, from Kent Police, said:

‘The disruption caused by protesters such as Ashman was significant and caused

a huge amount of people to fear for their safety while they were trying to go about their daily business.

‘While we respect everybody’s rights to participate in peaceful protest,

we cannot accept people using pre-planned demonstrations to cause violent disorder.
‘Our investigation to locate offenders responsible for the disturbances

has been thorough and many wrongdoers, including Ashman,

have found that they have been unable to evade justice

despite living outside of Kent Police’s area.’

James Walker
Press Officer
Press Office
01622 652150 ext 19 2154
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