Man jailed after disorder faced discipline charge before he died, inquest hears

A 61-year-old grandfather who was jailed following rioting outside a hotel housing asylum seekers was found dead in his cell hours after he received “adjudication papers” following a prison disciplinary charge, a coroner has said.

Peter Lynch died at HMP Moorland, in South Yorkshire, two months after he was jailed for two years and eight months by a judge who heard how he was at the front of a mob which gathered outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, shouting “scum” and “child killers” at police.

When Mr Lynch’s inquest was opened last year, Doncaster’s senior coroner Nicola Mundy heard that he died on October 19 2024 as a result of hanging.

At a pre-inquest review on Thursday, brief details were outlined of how Mr Lynch had been placed on a charge for a breach of prison rules.

Ms Mundy noted that Mr Lynch was given the “adjudication papers” relating to this matter on the evening of October 18 2024.

He was found dead the following morning.

No details of the allegation faced by Mr Lynch were given in court on Thursday but the coroner noted that he had felt it was “unjust” and that he disagreed with the account of his actions given by officers.

Ms Mundy said she will give her ruling on the inquest’s scope next week but indicated that she wanted the jury to consider Mr Lynch’s mental health and assessments from the point he was arrested and entered police custody.

The hearing heard how he was taken to HMP Doncaster after his first magistrates’ court appearance and then transferred to HMP Moorland on September 2 2024.

Mr Lynch was arrested on August 4 2024 outside the hotel, where he was pictured holding a placard asserting the corruption of MPs, judges, the media and the police.

When he was sentenced in August 2024, body-worn camera footage was shown to the court of him screaming “you are protecting people who are killing our kids and raping them” and “scum” at police with riot shields.

He was one of more than 100 men who have now been convicted at Sheffield Crown Court following the Rotherham rioting, which left 64 police officers injured, as well as four dogs and a horse.

At the sentencing hearing on August 22 2024, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC heard how Mr Lynch suffered from diabetes, thyroid issues and angina and had recently had a heart attack.

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.”

Mr Lynch was filmed repeatedly challenging officers as they tried to push him back with shields, screaming “protect my children” and yelling: “We are on the streets now to protect our kids.”

The crown court heard how Mr Lynch, from Wath upon Dearne, Rotherham, had been married for 36 years and had four adult children and three grandchildren.

No date has yet been fixed for the full inquest.