Ten Asian men have been unanimously acquitted of violent disorder after a six-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court. Nick Wrack, Tom Wainwright and Hossein Zahir of Garden Court Chambers' Crime Team represented three of the men.
The men had been charged with violent disorder after defending themselves from attack by far-right extremists at an anti-fascist demonstration in Rotherham in September 2015. The anti-fascist protestors argued that they had acted in self-defence after being attacked and racially abused outside a pub. South Yorkshire police were heavily criticised in the course of the trial for deliberately directing the Asian protestors past the pub in question.
The case has been covered in the press, including by the Guardian.
Nick Wrack was instructed in the case by Julia Haythorne of Harthills Solicitors. Tom Wainwright was instructed by Maz Sharif of The Johnson Partnership and Hossein Zahir was instructed by Matt Foot of Birnberg Peirce & Partners.
