Train vandal also guilty of violent disorder

Joseph Binney, 22, of the Roundway, Hull, was convicted by a jury at Kingston upon Thames Crown Court in south- west London following the Trades Union Congress organised protest in March.

The prosecution said he was part of a series of disturbances in central London after the protest including attacks on police vehicles, two banks and a car showroom.

The court heard Binney’s palm print was discovered on the inner door of a Santander bank branch in Piccadilly after it came under attack from a mob.

Following the guilty verdict, the court was told Binney was due to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday for £20,000 of criminal damage on eight occasions on the railways.

His Honour Judge Paul Dodgson said it was up to Leeds Crown Court whether sentencing should take place on Thursday or on November 25 at Kingston upon Thames Crown Court.

“You have been convicted of a very serious offence. Custody is inevitable in this case. I remand you in custody,” he said.

The court was told Binney, who was not a union member and was unemployed, had travelled from Hull to London on a coach to take part in the protest on March 26.

He told the court he had attended the main march for around three hours before heading to the Piccadilly Circus area after being told by “word of mouth” that another march was taking place.

He insisted he did not take part in the disorder and maintained he was not familiar with central London.

He said he had tried to leave the area twice but had been unable to do so because of police action.

Binney told the court he had been around 10 to 20 metres away from the attack on the Santander bank when its glass front doors were shattered.

Asked about how his palm print had come to be on the inner door of the bank, he said he had gone to take a look at the damage after the mob had dispersed out of a “mixture of stupidity and nosiness”.