Southampton protests: Ryan Wheatley, 40, admits police assault

A man who “barrelled into” a police officer during a night of protests has pleaded guilty to assault.

Ryan Wheatley, 40, was one of two men arrested in Southampton on Wednesday as he took part in an anti-immigration protest, which was outnumbered by up to 400 people who gathered and chanted “racists go home”.

Wheatley, of Malvern Close, Fair Oak, admitted at Southampton Magistrates’ Court to a charge of assault by beating.

He was remanded in custody to be sentenced at Southampton Crown Court on Monday.

Leah Dillon, prosecuting, told the court the defendant had attended the protest wearing a mask and a hooded top with an England flag draped over his shoulders.

She described how he had been spotted by Sgt Rob Perry attempting to run at the counter-demonstrators who had no police protection at the time.

“He went towards them, he was running towards them, this was perceived as an attempt to engage them in violence,” she said.

Ms Dillon said “he ran straight into” Sgt Perry who used an incapacitant spray before arresting him.

Wheatley accepted in an interview that he had “barrelled into the officer”, the court was told.