Michael Tart, a former soldier, received a suspended sentence after targeting a hotel housing migrants in Ashford following tragic events in Southport
Ashford: So, there’s this former British Army soldier, Michael Tart, who got into some serious trouble. He went to a hotel where migrants were staying and caused a ruckus. This happened just a week after three young girls were tragically killed in Southport.
He was arrested as part of a big police operation aimed at dealing with the unrest, which saw over 1,500 people getting caught up in it. When he showed up in court, he was facing some serious jail time.
Michael, who’s 38 and from Kennington, had already pleaded guilty to a few charges, including racially aggravated assault. The court learned he had served in Cyprus and Iraq and was diagnosed with PTSD back in 2014.
His lawyer mentioned that he struggles with anxiety and nightmares, and while there might be a link between his mental health and his actions, the racial comments weren’t aimed directly at the security guard.
After hearing all this, the judge decided to suspend his three-month prison sentence for a year. Tart has to complete some rehabilitation activities and stick to a curfew. He also has to pay some compensation and court costs.
The hotel he targeted was one of two in Kent that had been housing Afghan refugees after the Taliban took over in 2021. But now, it’s set to reopen to the public.
In total, around 300 Afghan refugees were placed there during that time. It’s a tough situation all around, and it’s clear that Tart is feeling the weight of his actions.
