Three men have been handed significant prison sentences for their roles in violent disorder outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex—a site that became a flashpoint for anti-immigration sentiment and public unrest over the summer of 2025. The sentencing, which took place at Chelmsford Crown Court on October 6, marks a turning point in a saga that has seen the small town of Epping thrust into the national spotlight, as protests and counter-protests over the housing of asylum seekers spiraled into chaos and violence.
According to BBC News, Stuart Williams, 36, Dean Smith, 51, and Martin Peagram, 33, became the first to be jailed for the disorder that erupted on July 17, 2025. This protest, attended by around 500 people, was the third in a series of demonstrations outside the Bell Hotel, which had been repurposed to house roughly 150 asylum seekers. The earlier protests, held on July 12 and 13, were described as relatively peaceful, but the July 17 event quickly escalated beyond the bounds of lawful protest.
Prosecutors told the court that the July 17 demonstration was planned in advance on social media, with attendees encouraged to "mask up and bring rage." The atmosphere was tense, and the crowd was further inflamed by the presence of a large sign on a flatbed van reading "protect our kids." The protest was sparked by the arrest of Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, an Ethiopian asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK just days before and was later convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping. Kebatu was sentenced to 12 months in prison after a trial at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court in September 2025, as reported by Sky News and the Daily Mail.
The July 17 protest rapidly descended into what police and prosecutors described as "serious public disorder." Police officers on the scene faced sustained attacks for over four hours, being pushed, punched, and kicked by protesters. Police vans were damaged, and officers were pelted with bottles, eggs, and even fireworks. According to a senior Essex Police officer's statement read in court, "In my 20 years of policing, I have never witnessed this scale of disorder in Essex—and certainly not in a town like Epping." The policing operation over the summer ultimately cost more than £1.5 million, with thousands attending anti-immigration protests and counter-demonstrations, as detailed by the Daily Mail.
Stuart Williams, a painter and decorator from Epping, was a prominent figure in the unrest. Wearing a Union Jack flag as a cape, Williams was captured on video shoulder-charging police lines, adopting an aggressive stance, and climbing onto the roof of the Bell Hotel to ring its bell—apparently to encourage the crowd. He later scaled the roof of a nearby school for children with special educational needs and disabilities, causing damage. Judge Jamie Sawyer, presiding over the case, remarked that "that shroud of patriotism did little to hide his thuggish intent." Williams was sentenced to two years and four months in prison.
Martin Peagram, a roofer from Loughton with a history of previous convictions, was seen kicking a police carrier, kicking out at officers, and throwing a can at police during the melee. Peagram, described by his own lawyer as the main breadwinner for his family, including a disabled daughter, admitted his behavior was "idiotic, immature, embarrassing and pathetic." He was jailed for two years and two months.
Dean Smith, a Waitrose worker from Epping, was identified among a group pushing and punching officers, linking arms with others and gesturing for the crowd to advance. Smith, who cares for his elderly mother and had no previous convictions, was sentenced to one year and ten months. His lawyer argued in court that there was "not a racist bone in his body" and that Smith had "no issue with people coming into this country fleeing persecution." Nevertheless, Judge Sawyer found that the actions of all three men "went beyond protest and became criminal when you acted as you did." The judge also stated he was "satisfied this was racially motivated at least in part."
The disorder was not an isolated incident. According to the Daily Mail, the Bell Hotel became the focal point for ongoing protests and counter-protests throughout the summer, with the police and local authorities struggling to maintain public order. The protests were triggered by the sexual assaults committed by Kebatu, but the anger and hostility quickly broadened into wider anti-immigration sentiment. Some protesters, including Williams, claimed their motivation was to "protect our kids," a mantra repeated by defense lawyers in court. However, the violence and scale of the disorder far exceeded anything previously seen in Epping.
Video footage presented in court showed protesters jumping at police vans, shouting, punching, and pushing at officers equipped with helmets and riot shields. Police responded with their own shields in an attempt to contain the crowd. Businesses in the area were forced to close, and residents experienced "worry, disruption and fear" as the situation escalated. The violence was so severe that it prompted the police, fire, and crime commissioner for Essex, Roger Hirst, to declare that government assistance would only be available if costs reached £4 million—a threshold not yet met despite the enormous policing bill.
The sentencing of Williams, Peagram, and Smith has sparked debate in the community and beyond, particularly as their prison terms exceed that of Kebatu, the man whose crimes triggered the protests. While some have expressed sympathy for the men, citing their roles as breadwinners or carers, others have condemned the violence and the racial motivations behind the disorder. Judge Sawyer emphasized that "you didn't wait for due process to run its course, you wanted to take matters into your own hands." In the words of prosecutor Gordon Carse, the defendants were "motivated by hostilities to a racial group or a perceived racial group."
The events in Epping highlight the tensions that can erupt when national debates over immigration and asylum play out at the local level, often with deeply personal and sometimes violent consequences. As the protests continue and the community grapples with the aftermath, the sentences handed down this week serve as a stark reminder of the line between lawful protest and criminal action.
With the Bell Hotel still housing asylum seekers and protests reportedly ongoing, the situation in Epping remains fraught. Local authorities and police face the challenge of maintaining order and safeguarding both residents and newcomers, as the town continues to navigate the complex realities of modern Britain.
