Peter Lynch: 61-year-old grandfather who rioted in front of asylum seeker hotel in Rotherham dies in prison

Peter Lynch was serving two years and eight months after being filmed repeatedly screaming abuse at riot police who were trying to push him back from the hotel.

He was at the front of a mob which gathered outside the Holiday Inn Express, at Manvers, Rotherham, on August 4, shouting “scum” and “child killers”, and pictured holding a placard asserting the corruption of MPs, judges, the media and the police.

But body-worn camera footage was shown to the court of him screaming “you are protecting people who are killing our kids and raping them” at police with riot shields and “scum”. He reportedly suffered from diabetes, thyroid issues, angina and had recently had a heart attack.

According to the BBC, a spokesperson for the Prison Service said Lynch, who had been at HMP Moorland in Doncaster, died on Saturday (October 19). The spokesperson added: “As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.”

During the trial, defence attorney Ian West said his client had been married for 36 years, had four adult children and three grandchildren. He was working in the packing industry but was recently made unemployed, the barrister said.

Judge Richardson told Lynch: “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. The judge said: “What a disgraceful example you are as a grandfather.”

Lynch, of Burman Road, Wath-upon-Dearne, pleaded guilty to violent disorder at an earlier hearing.