Two men have been jailed in the first televised sentencing hearings over riots sparked by the killing of three young girls at a dance class in Southport.

Retired welder William Nelson Morgan, 69, was jailed for two years and eight months for violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon in Liverpool.

John O’Malley, 43, appeared alongside him in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court and was jailed for the same length of time after admitting violent disorder in Southport.

More rioters are facing jail as suspects across the country continue to appear in court, including one man accused of violent disorder at two separate protests.

The court heard Morgan armed himself with a small truncheon and joined a “mob” who attacked police and damaged buildings on August 3.

Christopher Taylor, prosecuting, said Morgan was part of a group of about 100 people who set fire to bins and threw missiles at police.

Mr Taylor said body-worn footage showed the widower telling officers to get off him as they attempted to arrest him.

Sentencing him, Judge Andrew Menary KC said: “Your advancing years plainly did not prevent you from playing an active part in a disturbance on County Road.”

He added: “You were seen at the front of the mob, holding in your hand a wooden cosh, a small truncheon, which you plainly had with you to use as a weapon.

“When officers tried to arrest you, you resisted with such force it took three of them to detain you.”

The court heard O’Malley was identified from footage taken in Southport on July 30.

Addressing the judge as the video was played, Mr Taylor said: “Your lordship sees the ratio of police officers to members of the mob, those officers being seriously outnumbered.”

Judge Menary said: “It seems there were hundreds of people observing this event as if it was some kind of Tuesday night entertainment. All of them should be frankly ashamed of themselves.”

Mr Taylor said O’Malley, who had two previous convictions, was arrested on August 4 and told police he had been subjected to threats because of his involvement.

Sentencing him, the judge said he was present “from an early stage” at the disturbance on St Luke’s Road.

“There’s very clear footage showing the developing disorder and you were at the front of what was essentially a baying mob,” he said.

Defending both men, Paul Lewis said: “As they stand before you after a period of reflection, they both now recognise there is no grievance that can be properly addressed by mob rule.”

He said Morgan accepted he was “disinhibited by the presence of a large crowd”.

He added: “Both men wish to profoundly apologise.”

Meanwhile, at Plymouth Crown Court, 29-year-old Lucas Ormond Skeaping was sentenced to 18 months for violent disorder after throwing missiles and knocking a teenage boy off his bike with a motorbike helmet during a protest in Plymouth on Monday.

Judge Robert Linford said “you came to protest and to do so peacefully but things rapidly deteriorated”.

Prosecutor Lewis Aldous said the defendant had a GoPro camera with him which captured him throwing a full 500ml bottle of Coca Cola and a rock.

Edward Bailey, for Ormond Skeaping, said the defendant was “against fascism”, “abhors any form of racism” and had lost his employment at a bicycle company.

He said that the defendant has no previous convictions and his ADHD may “in part explain his impulsive behaviour”.

Christopher Clayton, 66, is accused of participating in violent disorder in both Liverpool and Rotherham as well as possession of an offensive weapon, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

He is due to appear at Leeds District Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Liverpool Crown Court is also due to host the sentencing of Adam and Ellis Wharton, who face jail for burgling a library in the Walton area of the city after it was set on fire.

Meanwhile, a couple who became involved in riots in Hartlepool after going to an afternoon bingo session were each jailed for two years and two months.

Former postmaster and school governor Steven Mailen, 54, was described as one of the “main instigators” of violence in the town.

His partner Ryan Sheers, 29, was bitten on the hip by a police dog during the incident.

The group had gathered to target homes used by asylum seekers, Teesside Crown Court heard.

A judge said Mailen and Sheers were “at the very forefront of the mob” and tried to push their way through a police cordon, with Mailen taunting officers and encouraging others to use violence towards them.