TAMWORTH — A mother who took her 11-year-old stepson to a violent protest last year after a deadly attack in Southport says she now lives with “massive regret” over her actions. Amy Hodgkinson-Hedgecox, 38, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and was sentenced to two years and three months in prison. She is now out on license and wearing an electronic ankle tag. “I have no answer for it other than I’m an idiot,” she said. “I got caught up in the moment. I should never have been there, and I should never have taken a child.”
The riot outside a Tamworth hotel, where asylum seekers were being housed, erupted after false claims circulated online that linked the Southport killer to a Muslim background. The unverified claims, shared widely on social media, ignited nationwide protests, vandalism, and arson.
The Southport attack had left three girls Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7; Bebe King, 6; and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9 dead, and 10 other people injured. The assailant, a British teenager, was later found to have acted alone, with no connection to immigration.
More than 1,800 people were arrested across the UK in connection with the protests. Courts convicted 698 people of offenses including assaulting police and violent disorder.
“It Was Chaos, And I Stayed” Hodgkinson-Hedgecox said her stepson Brady had seen protest footage on TikTok and asked her repeatedly to take him to the hotel. She admitted she believed false reports about asylum seekers filming girls at a nearby park. “I was frustrated,” she said. “I swore at police. I shouted things I shouldn’t have. When the petrol bomb was lit, I realized this could kill people. That’s when I knew it had gone too far.”
Although she did not throw objects or participate in the arson, CCTV captured her making obscene gestures toward the building and shouting at police. “I was wrong to believe the rumors. I should’ve known better,” she said.
Her criminal record includes previous offenses, with the last conviction for battery in 2009. She said she had been trying to rebuild her life and focus on family.
After her sentencing, far-right group Patriotic Alternative contacted her partner, offering £1,000 in what they called support for “political prisoners.” The money was accepted but later regretted. “I was desperate. But I shouldn’t have taken it,” said her partner Charlotte.
Similar protests erupted in other towns. In Rotherham, Ross Hart, 30, also took part in a riot outside a hotel housing asylum seekers. He admitted to damaging property and pushing a police van. He was sentenced to two years and ten months.
Hart, who lives with mental health issues, said he had stopped taking medication at the time. “I was angry about what I saw online,” he said. “But I still would have been there.” Asked about a past post where he wrote “Sink the lot dirty rats” alongside a picture of migrants in a boat, Hart defended the comment. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,” he said.
The protests were driven by false narratives on social media, often portraying asylum seekers as threats without evidence. Hodgkinson-Hedgecox now blames misinformation for her decision. “I don’t believe anything I read online now,” she said. “It was a huge mistake. I want to put this behind me and focus on my family.”
Despite her remorse, anti-immigration protests continue across the UK. At least 12 people were charged last month after violence broke out outside a hotel in Essex.
Southport Imam Ibrahim Hussein, whose mosque was targeted during the unrest, says some rioters have written to him to apologize. He has forgiven them but says the scars remain. “When glass is cracked, it’s hard to fix,” he said. “People are scared. Being labeled for your faith is a dangerous thing.”
While some offenders now express regret, others remain defiant. The wave of protests has underscored the deep divide in British society, fueled by fear, misinformation, and a growing mistrust in official narratives.
Authorities continue to warn that online lies have real-world consequences and that another wave of violence could happen if lessons are not learned.
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