A protester who shoved a police officer during demonstrations outside an asylum hotel in Epping has been jailed for more than two years. Phillip Curson, 53, from Upminster, east London, received a 27-month prison sentence at Chelmsford Crown Court.
Prosecutors stated that Curson was part of an "aggressive mob" gathered by The Bell Hotel on 17 July 2025. Police body-worn footage showed him making threats, including telling someone they would get "smashed up" if they returned to the west Essex town.
Curson was filmed shoving a police officer and shouting abuse. Essex Police reported that seven officers were injured during the disorder, with missiles thrown and vans damaged. Prosecutor Sam Willis described Epping being turned into "a scene of disorder and chaos."
Curson's defence lawyer, Stefan Bisson, stated during the trial that Curson acted "in the heat of everything" and in self-defence. Curson is the eighth person to be sentenced for their role in the clashes that day, and the seventh to be jailed.