Violent disorder suspects across the country could face more serious charges following the recent nationwide unrest after a 15-year-old boy became the first person to be charged with riot.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at South Tyneside Youth Court on Thursday but his case was adjourned for two weeks following what a district judge called a “surprise” charging decision.
Rioting is an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison – double that of a charge of violent disorder.
The PA news agency understands riot charges are something the CPS is looking at nationally, as well as in the North East.
The boy, from Sunderland, is accused of riot following disorder in his home city on August 2 after having pleaded guilty to violent disorder and burglary on Saturday.
Chris Wilson, defending, said the situation “doesn’t sit comfortably with me, professionally or personally”, adding: “Clearly there are complex issues, and those issues may well have far wider repercussions.”
Gale Gilchrist, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS North East, said: “This defendant is one of a number of individuals who we expect will be charged with riot.”
A senior officer at Northumbria Police said if an individual may have been involved in further criminality, they will “be brought before the courts again and charged with the most serious offence possible”.
Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Simpson said: “I hope this sends a really strong message that, no matter how old you are, if you took part in the recent appalling events in Sunderland, you will face really serious charges.
“The team have worked amazingly quickly, with our criminal justice partners, to arrest those responsible and bring them before the courts.
“However, as that evidence picture continues to build, if it becomes apparent that an individual may have been involved in further criminality, they will be brought before the courts again and charged with the most serious offence possible.”
Today, we have laid the first charge of riot following widespread disorder that spread across England in recent weeks. Read more: https://t.co/NJPmqsU4k4 pic.twitter.com/cmoeGccSQD
— Crown Prosecution Service (@CPSUK) August 15, 2024
Elsewhere on Thursday, a man “motivated by racial hatred” who punched and kicked a black man in the face during disorder in Manchester was jailed for three years and two months at the city’s crown court.
Prosecutors said father-of-two Joseph Ley was the “first to instigate physical violence” against the man, with his defence team telling the court that the 30-year-old “thought he was attending an event to celebrate British culture”.
At the same court, a man who threw bricks at police outside a hotel housing asylum seekers was jailed for two years and 10 months.
Paul Smith, 21, was sentenced for violent disorder following unrest outside the Holiday Inn hotel in the city on July 31.
Another man, who carried out a “spinning kick” against a shop window during disorder in Manchester, was jailed for 20 months.
Oliver Chapman, 23, admitted kicking a shop front during a police interview, saying: “I’d done a silly spinning kick to it.”
At Liverpool Crown Court two men involved in disorder in Southport following a vigil for three girls killed in a fatal knife attack were both jailed for more than two years.
Tom Neblett, 20, was handed a 30-month prison sentence after climbing onto a van and repeatedly launching missiles at police officers.
Neblett threw a brick at the passenger side window of a police carrier while the driver was still inside before colleagues in riot gear removed him as he shielded his head with his hands.
Father-of-six Tony Hazlett, 46, was given a 28-month sentence after he threw two missiles at police.
A self-styled paedophile hunter was jailed for eight months at Leeds Crown Court after admitting racially abusing protesters who gathered for a pro-Palestinian demonstration in the city.
Phil Hoban, 48, was a prominent figure in an anti-immigration demonstration in the city centre on Saturday August 3, where he could be seen shouting at hundreds of rival protesters and leading the chanting.
Recorder of Leeds, Judge Guy Kearl KC told him: “You started to imitate the manner in which Muslim people pray, in order to mock their religion and, at a slightly later time, you were chanting “Allah, Allah, who the f*** is Allah?”
The court heard how, after his arrest, Hoban disputed this last statement, telling officers he was chanting “Who the f*** is Alan?”
Father-of-three Hoban is the founder of Predator Exposure – a group which set-up sting operations against men who made contact with fake profiles of teenage girls they set up online.
James Gettings, 35, was jailed for eight months alongside Hoban after he admitted causing religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress at a previous hearing.
In Nottingham, a father pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer when his partner was arrested during a protest in the city.
Kevin Musgrave, 37, admitted grabbing the officer’s arm during the incident on August 3 when his partner Victoria Gray, was detained for pushing a police officer and spitting on another.
District Judge Sunil Khanna gave Musgrave a 12-week sentence suspended for 12 months with 100 unpaid hours of work.
A house husband was jailed for 18 months for violent disorder at Bournemouth Crown Court for taking part in a “far-right” protest in Weymouth despite the efforts of his wife to coax him away.
Father-of-three Ian Vetier, 36, played a “prominent” role among the group he described as the “Enough is enough” group which had gathered to confront a larger Stand Up To Racism group on August 4.
At Plymouth Crown Court, three people pleaded guilty to charges of violent disorder in relation to unrest in the Devon city on August 5 and were remanded into custody.
A Hatton Garden jeweller was jailed for eight months at Inner London Crown Court after he committed racially aggravated public order offences at a demonstration near Downing Street in Whitehall last month.
Russ Cooke, 66, of Islington, told officers they would be “put to the sword” when “the Muslims… start yelling Allahu Akbar” on July 31.
