12-year-old at riots ‘more involved’ than anyone, judge says

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A 12-year-old boy who attended two different riots was “more involved in the violence and disorder than any other defendant I’ve seen coming through these courts, adult or child”, a judge has said.
The boy, and another of the same age who was convicted over a different riot, are the youngest people to be charged after disorder across the country.
He pleaded guilty on Monday to two charges of violent disorder at Manchester Magistrates’ Court, sitting as a youth court, where prosecutors said he was part of a group that gathered on July 31 outside a Holiday Inn hotel housing asylum seekers.
Tess Kenyon, prosecuting, said the schoolboy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was “seen in footage handing a rock to another youth during the disorder” and was part of a group that attacked a bus.
“He kicks the bus at the side as it drove past him,” Ms Kenyon added.
During subsequent disorder in Manchester city centre three days later on August 3, Ms Kenyon said the boy was “filmed by police kicking the front window of a vape shop” and was “seen to throw a missile at a police van”.
District Judge Joanne Hirst said the case was “very serious”, adding it was the first she had dealt with a person “attending both incidents” of disorder.
“He’s more involved in the violence and disorder than any other defendant I’ve seen coming through these courts, adult or child,” she added.
The boy was remanded to local authority accommodation and will be sentenced at Manchester Magistrates’ Court in September.
Meanwhile, another 12-year-old boy was convicted over a riot in Southport on July 30 after pleading guilty to violent disorder.
The schoolboys are among nearly 1,000 people who have been arrested over riots and disorder which swept the country after three girls were killed in Southport.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council said that as of August 11, 975 people had been arrested and 546 charged in the wake of the disorder.
Rioting by far-Right mobs erupted following the deaths of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, who were killed on July 29 at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop.
In the hours before the first riot in Southport, misinformation had spread online including false claims the suspect was a Muslim migrant who had arrived in a small boat.
Many of those to appear before court after disorder around the country have been teenagers and among those sentenced yesterday was Cole Stewart, 18, who celebrated when a rock hit a police officer during a riot in Darlington.
Teesside Crown Court heard that Stewart had joined a group of about 30 people outside a mosque on August 5, chanting racist and far-Right slogans.
Police formed a line separating the protesters from a group of about 60 Asian men who had gathered outside the mosque to protect it.
Stewart was seen breaking a large boulder into smaller rocks and throwing them towards police and when one rock hit an officer on the arm, he was seen “celebrating with his arms in the air”.
In mitigation, the court heard Stewart had a “very difficult background” and denied using any racist language himself during the incident.
Sentencing him to 18 months’ detention in a young offenders’ institution, Judge Francis Laird KC said: “You chose to take part in an organised act of public disorder, indeed you were at the forefront of it.”
Others to appear in court on August 11 included Thomas Rogers, 22, who hurled a vacuum cleaner through a Nigerian student’s window and later told a police officer: “I hope your kids get raped”.
Rogers was jailed for two years and two months for taking a lead role in the rioting, which hit Middlesbrough on August 4 – as he hurled rocks at police officers which sparked the beginning of the violence.
Later in the afternoon, he was caught on video running up to a house and throwing a vacuum cleaner through the front window before running away laughing.
Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said police recognised Rogers “by virtue of his distinctive T-shirt”. During the trouble, he was seen to be bleeding from his hand and a police officer asked him if he needed help.
He answered: “I cut my hand when I was throwing rocks at the police and I would do it again.”
In Southampton, a grandfather was jailed after running straight at a police officer “like a rhino” while wearing an England flag.
Ryan Wheatle, 40, admitted running into Sergeant Rob Perry at the demonstration in Southampton on August 7.
Southampton Crown Court heard how Wheatley went alone to the protest to express his views against illegal immigration after seeing the plans on the social media site Reddit.
He joined a group of 10 men in the city’s Grosvenor Square who were being kept separate from a group of around 400 counter-protestors.
Officers then saw him heading round the back of a multi-storey car park to “get out and attack the counter-protesters from the rear”.
Bodycam footage played to court showed Wheatley, wearing a face mask, running as Sergeant Perry was shouting “move back now” before colliding with him. He was tackled to the ground and sprayed with pepper spray.
Wheatley was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, half to be spent in custody and the rest on licence – with a further 12 months’ post-sentence supervision.
Others were sentenced for false claims online, including Dimitrie Stoica – who was jailed for three months for broadcasting a TikTok video from Derby where he said he was being chased during the riots.
The 35-year-old Romanian father posted a video which showed him running and saying: “I am running bro because they are running after me. They’re coming. Everyone get back.”
Appearing at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court, he said the video was a “joke” and he had hoped to get more followers.
However, Seema Mistry, prosecuting, accused him of “trying to stir up racial hatred by implying he was being chased”.
Andrew Cash, defending, said: “He did not consider the effect on those who were watching his video who may have been expressing surprise, fear and concern that there was an incident in Normanton which there was not.”
In South Yorkshire, a haulage boss who took part in “extremely frightening” riots outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham was jailed for two years and eight months.
Ricky Hardman, 41, from Barnsley, was arrested after a picture of him brandishing a piece of wood during the disorder on August 4 was published in a national newspaper, a judge was told.
Video was also played in Sheffield Crown Court, showing the defendant was part of a group attacking a police dog van during violence outside the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers.
Recorder of Sheffield Judge Jeremy Richardson KC told Hardman: “The incident was part of wider national civic unrest fostered by some form of malignancy in society spread by malevolent users of social media.
“There’s no question the disorder was racist in character and extremely frightening for anyone who was there.”
The wife of a Conservative councillor has also appeared in court after calling for hotels housing asylum seekers to be set on fire.
Lucy Connolly, 41, who works as a childminder in Northampton, was not required to enter a plea to a charge of publishing threatening or abusive material intending to stir up racial hatred.
Her husband, West Northamptonshire councillor Raymond Connolly, watched from the public gallery in courtroom four at Northampton Crown Court as she was remanded in custody. She is due back in court next month.
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Jamie Easterbrook, 43, has admitted a charge of violent disorder relating to protests in Bristol on August 3.
The defendant, of Bristol, was arrested by police at his home on Saturday night and appeared before Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Monday afternoon.
District Judge Lynne Matthews remanded Easterbrook into custody ahead of his sentencing hearing at Bristol Crown Court on Friday.
Three men have pleaded guilty at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court over their role in rioting. 
Gary Harkness, 51, John Cann, 51, and Ryan Bailey, 41, who are all from Plymouth, admitted taking part in riots in the city last Monday.
They will appear before Plymouth Crown Court tomorrow to face sentencing. 
Two juveniles – a 16-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy both from Plymouth – also pleaded guilty this morning and will be bailed to appear before Youth Court at a later date.
Assistant Chief Constable at Devon and Cornwall Police Glen Mayhew said: “We continue to work to bring those involved in last Monday night’s violent disorder to justice. This has been a collaborated effort between police investigation teams and the Crown Prosecution Service, who have delivered a swift response.
“Our message is simple to anyone who plans to breed violent disorder; We will identify you, and you will face the full force of the law.
“The actions on Monday do not represent our wider community and we would like to thank the public for their ongoing and unwavering support of our officers.”
A rioter who punched a police officer in the face has been jailed for two years, police have said.
Jason Barry Francis, 38, pleaded guilty at Bournemouth Crown Court today to violent disorder and assault of an emergency worker during a violent demonstration in Weymouth on August 4.
He was filmed moving towards a police line, pushing and kicking out at officers, before punching an officer in the face and backing away into the crowd.
Francis, of Meadow View Road in Weymouth, was identified and arrested by officers following reviews of Local council CCTV cameras and third-party videos posted to social media.
A scaffolder took a knuckle-duster to an anti-immigration protest after going for dinner and drinks with his two teenage sons.
Lee James, 42, who took the weapon to a demonstration in Southampton on August 7, was jailed at Southampton Crown Court on Monday.
Prosecutor Richard Onslow said: “He had been having dinner and drinks with his two teenage sons, he had a few drinks with his meal.
“He had recently helped out a homeless man in Burger King and was upset about people like that not being helped more.”
He took the knuckle-duster out of his van “on a whim” but was later recorded in a video interview in the crowd being “very blasé about waving it around his hands as he spoke”.
Mr Onslow added that a police officer took the decision not to arrest him at the protest because the situation “would have descended into disorder”.
James was given a 12-month prison sentence, to serve half of the period before being released on licence, and a further 12 months post-sentence supervision.
A rioter who hurled a vacuum cleaner through a Nigerian student’s window and later told a police officer: “I hope your kids get raped” has been jailed for two years and two months.
Thomas Rogers, 22, took a lead role in the rioting which hit Middlesbrough on August 4, hurling rocks at police officers which sparked the beginning of the violence.Later in the afternoon he was caught on video running up to a house and hurling a vacuum cleaner through the front window before running away laughing.
The house was occupied by a young Nigerian student at Teesside University who fled to London in terror after watching the mob descend on the home she shared with her partner.
Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said police recognised Rogers “by virtue of his distinctive T-shirt. He was seen to be bleeding from his hand and a police officer asked him if he was OK.
“He answered: “I cut my hand when I was throwing rocks at the police and I would do it again.”
A 40-year-old grandfather wearing an England flag who ran straight at a police officer at a protest “like a rhino” has been jailed.
Ryan Wheatley, of Malvern Close, Fair Oak, Hampshire, admitted running into Sergeant Rob Perry at the demonstration in Southampton on August 7.
Southampton Crown Court heard how Wheatley went alone to the protest to express his views against illegal immigration after seeing the plans on Reddit.
He joined a group of 10 men in Grosvenor Square who were being kept separate from a group of around 400 people chanting ‘Refugees are welcome here’, the court heard. Officers then saw him heading round the back of a multi-storey car park to “get out and attack the counter protesters from the rear”.
Bodyworn footage played to court showed Wheatley, also wearing face mask, running as Sergeant Perry was shouting “move back now” before colliding with him. He was tackled to the ground and Pava sprayed.
Wheatley was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, half to be spent in custody and the rest on licence with a further 12 months’ post-sentence supervision. 
A 16-year-old boy who attacked police officers during a riot was told he “should be thoroughly ashamed” of himself by a judge.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to a charge of violent disorder at Manchester Magistrates’ Court, sitting as a youth court, on Monday afternoon.
Prosecutor Tess Kenyon said the boy was seen on CCTV on August 4 throwing “an object towards mounted police officers who were trying to disperse protesters” and “walking towards an ongoing protest with a weapon in his hand”.
Ms Kenyon added that video footage also showed him aiding looters by “holding up shutters of a convenience store while others are trying to get into the store”.
District Judge Joanne Hirst said the case was “a very serious matter” and told the boy: “You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself.
“Your mum deserves better than this, we all deserve better.”
The boy was remanded to local authority accommodation and banned from Bolton town centre.
He will be sentenced at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on September 2
A 43-year-old rioter who “thought he was being funny” by stealing a police officer’s baton has ended up with a prison sentence.
Guy Sullivan was part of riots in Plymouth when he stole the baton from a PC Hannaford, who was then dragged to the ground and attacked by a mob, leaving him with head wounds.
Judge Robert Linford told Plymouth Crown Court that Sullivan ran up behind the officer as he tried to “keep the mob at bay” and took the baton and ran off with it.He said PC Hannaford was then kicked to the ground and beaten as the mob shouted to “let him have it” as the terrified officer curled up in a ball to try and protect himself.
Mr Christopher Cuddihee, defending Sullivan, said: “He thought he was being funny and amusing in the heat of the moment. He got caught up in this disorder.”
Sullivan, who was jailed at the same court by the same judge last week for 16 months for a shop burglary, was jailed for a further 26 months.
A judge said that a 12-year-old boy who took part in two separate riots was “more involved in the violence and disorder” than anyone else she had seen.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to two charges of violent disorder at Manchester Magistrates’ Court, sitting as a youth court, on Monday afternoon.
He is the joint youngest person to have been charged over the riots, alongside another 12-year-old boy from Southport who is due to appear at Merseyside Youth Court today.
Prosecutor Tess Kenyon told the court the boy was part of a group that gathered on July 31 outside a Holiday Inn hotel housing asylum seekers. She said the boy was “seen in footage handing a rock to another youth during the disorder” and was part of a group that attacked a bus. The prosecutor added: “He kicks the bus at the side as it drove past him.”
During subsequent disorder in Manchester city centre on August 3, Ms Kenyon said the boy was “filmed by police kicking the front window of a vape shop” and was “seen to throw a missile at a police van”.
District Judge Joanne Hirst said the case was “very serious”, adding it was the first she had dealt with of a person “attending both incidents” of disorder. She added: “He’s more involved in the violence and disorder than any other defendant I’ve seen coming through these courts, adult or child.”
The boy was remanded to local authority accommodation and will be sentenced at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on September 2.
A host of accused-rioters are due to appear at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court after being charged with violent disorder. 
They include Richard Harrison, 37, Elliott Wragg, 23, Morgan Hardy, 29, Glyn Guest, 60, Peter Lynch, 61, and Trevor Lloyd, 49. 
Stuart Bolton, 38, will appear at the same court charged with violent disorder, driving whilst disqualified and using a motor vehicle without insurance.
Elsewhere, Joe Coates, 24, has been charged with racially/religiously aggravated harassment and failing to comply with a community protection notice, and will appear at Leeds District Magistrates Court.
Travis Whitelock, 23, and Julieanne Kay, 47, have been charged with violent disorder and will appear at Hull Magistrates Court.
In Yorkshire, the Crown Prosecution Service said Jamie Phillips, 31, admitted harassment at Doncaster Magistrates’ Court while Cristal Parkin, 20, pleaded guilty to racial or religiously-aggravated harassment at Leeds District Magistrates Court.
A 34-year-old man has admitted to sharing a video on TikTok in an effort to stir up racial hatred.
James Aspin, of Blyth, Northumberland, pleaded guilty to distributing a recording intending to stir up racial hatred during a hearing at Bedlington Magistrates’ Court.
He was remanded into custody to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on August 19.
A man who took part in “extremely frightening” riots outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham has been jailed for two years and eight months.
Ricky Hardman, 41, who runs a haulage business, was arrested after a picture of him brandishing a piece of wood during the disorder on Sunday August 4 was published in a national newspaper, a judge was told.
Video was also shown in Sheffield Crown Court on Monday showing the defendant was part of a group attacking a police dog van during the violence outside the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers.
Recorder of Sheffield Judge Jeremy Richardson KC told Hardman: “The incident was part of wider national civic unrest fostered by some form of malignancy in society spread by malevolent users of social media.
“There’s no question the disorder was racist in character and extremely frightening for anyone who was there.”
Hardman, of Norfolk Road, Barnsley, admitted violent disorder last week.
He sat in the dock with one security guard wearing a black t-shirt and green trousers with his family watching from the public gallery.
Sir Keir Starmer cancelled his holiday because of the riots, Downing Street has said.
The Prime Minister abandoned plans for a summer break in Europe to “ensure that we can respond to the disorder” because “the work is not done”, a Number 10 spokeswoman said.
She said: “The Prime Minister is not alone in this. We’ve seen many people over the course of the weekend and over the disorder having their leave cancelled to ensure that we can respond to the disorder.
“It is welcome that we’ve seen a de-escalation over the weekend but the work is not done, there continues to be a huge focus as the deputy prosecutor set out this weekend, in ensuring we continue to process cases and bring people to justice.”
The spokeswoman said the government remains on “high alert” over the violent disorder seen across parts of the UK in recent weeks, Downing Street has said.
Asked whether it was confident that the wide-scale unrest is now over, a Number 10 spokeswoman said: “We welcome that there has been a de-escalation this weekend.
“But we’re certainly not complacent and remain on high alert.”
A teenager seen “celebrating” after throwing a rock which hit a police officer during riots in Darlington has been detained for 18 months.
Cole Stewart, 18, joined a group of about 30 people outside a mosque on August 5 chanting racist and far Right slogans, Teesside Crown Court heard this morning.
Police formed a line separating the protesters from a group of about 60 Asian men who had gathered outside the mosque to protect it.
Stewart, of Victoria Road, Darlington, was seen breaking a large boulder into smaller rocks and throwing them towards officers. When one rock hit an officer on the arm Stewart was seen “celebrating with his arms in the air”.
In mitigation, the court heard Stewart had a “very difficult background” and denied using any racist language himself during the incident.
Sentencing him to 18 months’ detention in a young offenders’ institution, Judge Francis Laird KC said: “You chose to take part in an organised act of public disorder, indeed you were at the forefront of it.”
A 26-year-old man threw missiles and kicked a police van after he earlier attended a peaceful vigil in Southport with his pregnant girlfriend, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
Dylan Carey, from Hindley, Greater Manchester, visited the Merseyside town on July 30 to pay his tributes to the three girls fatally stabbed at a dance class by laying flowers and lighting a candle.
Widespread disorder involving a group of about 1,000 people later broke out, with the focus of violence aimed at a local mosque and fuelled by misinformation on social media, said prosecutor Nardeen Nemat.
Chants of “who the f*** is Allah?” and “this is our f***ing country” were heard as police officers came under fire from missiles as they formed a cordon to prevent the group from reaching the mosque.
CCTV footage was played to the court which showed Carey, wearing black shorts, a grey T-shirt and black cap, twice kicking a police van and hurling a bottle and a tin of paint at the vehicle.
Merseyside Police said today that three more people have been charged following the riot.
Harvey Gabbott, 21, of Hillside, Tarleton, and Paul Dryhurst, 33, of Gale Road, Litherland, have been charged with violent disorder. They have been remanded in custody to appear at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
A 12-year-old boy from Southport has also been charged with violent disorder and is due to appear at Merseyside Youth Court on Monday.
Writing for The Telegraph in the wake of the Southport riots, the Home Secretary has claimed Britain has lost respect for the police.
Yvette Cooper claimed a soft approach to justice had led too many people to “feel as though crime has no consequences”.
She wrote: “As well as punishing those responsible for the last fortnight’s violent disorder, we must take action to restore respect for the police, and respect for the law. 
“From anti-social behaviour through to serious violence, too often people feel as though crime has no consequences, as charge rates have been allowed to fall and court delays have grown. That has to change.”
We’re now starting to see the first accused-rioters appear in court this morning.
Niall Charnock, 31, of Edward Street, Bolton, has admitted at Manchester Magistrates’ Court to throwing a missile at police during riots in Bolton town centre on August 4.
Prosecutor Tess Kenyon said Charnock was “actively involved” in the disturbances and social media footage had shown him breaking through a police barricade.
Ms Kenyon added: “He was captured on further footage throwing a missile at an officer.”
District Judge Joanne Hirst remanded Charnock into custody, telling him he had been part of “shameful disorder” in Bolton town centre.
He pleaded guilty to violent disorder and will be sentenced at Bolton Crown Court on August 19.
A man who allegedly posted a TikTok video intended to stir up racial hatred has been charged.
James Aspin, who has been charged with distributing a recording intending to stir up racial hatred, is due to appear at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court this morning (Monday).
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had authorised Northumbria Police to charge the 34-year-old from Blyth, Northumberland.
The CPS said the charge relates to an alleged video published on TikTok on or before August 8, 2024.
Elsewhere, South Wales Police have charged two men over Facebook posts that allegedly intended to stir up racial or religious hatred.
Geraint Boyce, 43, and Jamie Michael, 45, are accused of publishing threatening material on a Facebook account.
The CPS said the charges relate to Facebook posts on or around July 31 in relation to the widespread public disorder.
Boyce, of Penrhiw-Fer, and Michael, of Penygraig, are due to appear at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court today.
A man has been charged with assaulting an emergency worker after a counter protest in Brighton.
Ian Ward, 53, of Old Mill Close, Portslade, will appear in court also accused of common assault and affray, after the 2,000-strong demonstration in the East Sussex city on August 7.
He has been remanded in custody and will appear at Crawley Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
A Sussex Police spokesman added: “Police officers and PCSOs will continue to provide a visible and reassuring presence across the county and anyone with information or concerns is asked to speak to local officers or report online.”
People are asked to quote Operation Skylark when contacting the force via 101 or 999 in an emergency.
Several more accused rioters will appear in court, facing charges that range from criminal damage to violent disorder. 
They include Ardel Shapalang, 40, who is accused of damaging a police vehicle in Bristol, Tyler Marchese, 21, who allegedly assaulted an emergency worker, and a 15-year-old boy who is accused of burglary during the riots in Liverpool.
The wife of a Tory councillor is also due to appear in court after being accused of calling for hotels housing asylum seekers to be set on fire.
It is alleged that Lucy Connolly, 41, posted on X on the day of the Southport knife killings saying: “Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the bastards for all I care… If that makes me racist, so be it.” 
She has been charged with one count of publishing written material to stir up racial hatred. She appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Saturday morning via a live link and did not enter a plea. 
Connolly is the partner of Conservative West Northamptonshire councillor Raymond Connolly.
Nigel Farage appeared on US television yesterday where he called the Prime Minister “the biggest threat to free speech we’ve seen in our history”.
Speaking on Fox News, the Reform UK leader said: “Nobody should use any social media platform to spread hate or incite violence… I think all of us would agree with that free speech rule. 
“But what we should be allowed to do on social media is to speculate. Is to ask questions. To try and put facts out that wake up the rest of the community
“When you’re engaged in something like that, you can never guarantee that what you say is 100 per cent true…
“Starmer by cracking down on that, poses the biggest threat to free speech we’ve seen in our history.”
Last week, two men were charged for posting criminal messages online linked to the Southport riots in the first cases of their kind linked to the violence.
A woman was also arrested over inaccurate social media posts about the identity of the Southport stabbing suspect.
Keir Starmer poses the biggest threat to free speech we’ve seen in our history. pic.twitter.com/AB9cdiQtue