Protesters Charged Over Epping Hotel Violence Enter Pleas at Chelmsford Crown Court
Court hearings on August 18 saw defendants pleading guilty remanded until October with case management hearings scheduled for September
Overview
- Waitrose worker Dean Smith, 51, and Stuart Williams, 36, both pleaded guilty to violent disorder on July 17 and were remanded in custody until their October 6 sentencing
- Judge Jamie Sawyer ordered pre-sentence reports for Smith and Williams and warned their sentences are likely to include immediate imprisonment
- Lee Gower, 43, and Shaun Thompson, 37, pleaded not guilty and have been remanded or bailed pending a case management hearing on September 22, with Thompson accused of punching a police car
- Aaron Elles, 28, told the court he intends to apply to vacate a guilty plea entered at an earlier hearing and remains in custody ahead of the September case management date
- Jonathan Glover and Keith Silk have both denied violent disorder charges—Glover is awaiting a dismissal application and Silk also faces a criminal damage allegation—and are due back in court on September 22