Rioter who died in jail hanged himself, inquest hears: Father-of-four was discovered useless after being jailed for 2 years for violent dysfunction
A 61-year-old grandfather who died in prison after being locked up for his part in rioting outside a hotel housing asylum seekers hanged himself, an inquest has heard.
He was jailed for two years and eight months at Sheffield Crown Court after he pleaded guilty to civil unrest outside the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers on August 4.
Lynch had yelled ‘racist and provocative remarks’ at police officers during the unrest – which saw masked thugs smash the windows of the hotel and try to set it alight. He also branded the migrants in the hotel ‘child killers’.
Mr Lynch had been pictured holding a placard referencing conspiracy theories and claiming MPs, judges, the media and police were corrupt.
Peter Lynch, who died in prison earlier this month, took his own life by hanging himself, an inquest has been told
Mr Lynch (pictured in a baseball cap behind the police officer) stood outside the Rotherham Holiday Inn Express with a sign claiming several world organisations and UK institutions were ‘corrupt’
He was later captured on camera refusing to move for police officers – before yelling they were ‘scum’
About 750 people gathered outside the hotel, which was being used to house asylum seekers, on August 4
Shameful scenes at the Holiday Inn Express saw thugs start fires and hurl objects at the windows in order to get inside
Damage at the hotel the day after rioters attacked. Hundreds of people were arrested in the wake of riots across the UK at the end of July and start of August
HMP Moorland, where Lynch died. He was serving two years and eight months after admitting violent disorder
The inquest heard that ‘ancillary investigations’ are ongoing into his cause of death and Ms Mundy said she does not yet have a full report from the pathologist.
Lynch, who had diabetes, thyroid issues and angina, and recently suffered a heart attack, was put behind bars for screaming at police outside a hotel in Rotherham housing asylum seekers.
His sentencing hearing in August was told Lynch was a ‘full participant’ in the riot and was filmed calling officers ‘scum’ after screaming: ‘You are protecting people who are killing our kids and raping them.’
Asked by Judge Jeremy Richardson KC about the meaning of the placard he was holding, Ian West, defending, said: ‘It’s a general conspiracy theory against anyone and any form of authority. This was slightly off-topic from what was going on that day.’
Judge Richardson told him: ‘You did not yourself attack any police officer, as far as can be detected, but what you did was encourage by your conduct others to behave violently and you were part of this mob.’
Lynch, of Burman Road, in Wath-upon-Dearne, had three grandchildren was described by his barrister as ‘very caring’.
However, he was locked up on August 22 as the courts rattled through hundreds of offenders who were involved in rioting at the end of July and beginning of August.
‘You were unquestionably endeavouring to rev up the situation the best you could,’ Judge Richardson added.
Much of the disorder at the end of July and the start of August was fuelled by far-right misinformation online.
Following his death, Lynch appears to have been adopted as a martyr by far-right mouthpieces such as Tommy Robinson and former actor Laurence Fox.
Mr Lynch has become a martyr among supporters of Tommy Robinson, who turned out in force on Saturday following Robinson’s jailing for contempt of court offences
Some of those attending the rally on Saturday even brought face masks bearing Peter Lynch’s likeness
The far-right gathering was met by a large anti-fascist march led by Stand Up To Racism
Peter Lynch’s sister, Kath Romanowski (pictured), posted a tribute to her brother on Facebook
Alongside a caption which read ‘RIP Peter Lynch’, she took aim at Sir Keir Starmer
Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – was filmed in a black t-shirt that read ‘I am Peter Lynch’ in a video shared on his social media earlier this month.
He is now in jail after admitting contempt of court charges in connection with false allegations he made about a Syrian schoolboy, which he had been ordered not to repeat.
Many who attended a far-right rally on Saturday following Robinson’s jailing wore badges bearing Lynch’s name; some even wore cardboard face masks of his likeness.
Following Lynch’s death, his sister Kathleen Romanowski took to Facebook to write a foul-mouthed rant that appeared to take aim at prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, writing: ‘F*** you S******.’
Mr Lynch’s sister-in-law Jeanette Harris, 73, said the family were ‘absolutely devastated’.
She said: ‘It’s awful. It’s too upsetting. Peter wasn’t a violent person. There’s no free speech anymore, is there.He’s not a criminal. He was a working father and grandfather. A fantastic brother-in-law.
‘The last place he should have been in a prison cell. Any other time it would have been just a fine or a suspended sentence.
‘You wouldn’t get three years just for free speech.’
Jeanette, who is the sister of Mr Lynch’s wife Andrea, 58, added: ‘You see the people that have been released from prison early and the crimes they’ve committed. Peter had never been in trouble before.’
Flowers and cards were left at her nearby marital home in Wath-upon-Dearne, where neighbours described Mr Lynch as a ‘kind man’.
One neighbour said: ‘Peter said some stupid things, yes, but does that really warrant almost three years in jail?’
