Four people involved in, “an orgy of mindless destructive violence and disorder” in a city centre last Friday night were today (Fri Aug 9) each jailed for two years or more.
The Recorder of Newcastle, Judge Paul Sloan, said Andrew Smith, Josh Kellett, Leanne Hodgson and Bradley Makin all participated in the “widespread mayhem”, in Sunderland, committing or encouraging “serious acts of violence” towards the police and damage to police vehicles and buildings.
Newcastle Crown Court heard four police officers were hospitalised, seven Northumbria force vehicles were damaged and the widespread damage to police and commercial premises is believed to extend into the hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Judge Sloan told them: “As has been said before, on more than one occasion in these courts, it’s an unavoidable feature of mass disorder that each individual act, whatever its character taken on its own, inflames and encourages others to behave in similar fashion.”
He added: “Those participating in mass disorder must expect severe sentences intended not only to punish but also to deter others from copying their example.”
Smith, 31, of the Swan Lodge Salvation Army Hostel, in High Street East, Sunderland, 29-year-old Kellett, of Scafell, Fatfield, Washington, Hodgson, 43, of Holborn Road, Sunderland, and Makin, 21, of Simonside, Springwell Estate, Sunderland, each previously admitted violent disorder.
Makin also admitted drug possession offences after substances he was found using were seized by police upon his arrest, at his home on August 4.
All appeared from custody in the dock in Court Six at the Quayside court complex for sentence this afternoon.
Omar Ahmed, prosecuting, outlined the role each played in the disorder, which followed previous trouble in Southport and Hartlepool after the killings of three innocent girls at a Taylor Swift dance class in the Merseyside seaside town on Monday last week (July 29).
Mr Ahmed said the incident arose from a protest planned in Sunderland city centre at 4pm on Friday, August 2, which turned into widespread disorder resulting in several arrests, with further investigations still taking place.
“Throughout the evening officers were met with serious and sustained levels of violence and met with missiles”
He said four had to go to hospital for treatment, some of whom are still unfit to return to front-line duties.
Vehicles, seven of them belonging to the force, were damaged with most not yet fully repaired.
Mr Ahmed said officers on the front line tried to control the mob, in some cases viewed by their frightened families at home observing news footage and live streaming of events unfolding on social media.
As the wanton damage went on late into the evening, business premises were targeted and a police community hub in Waterloo Place was also pillaged, a vape shop was looted and the city’s former central police station, now used as offices and a gym, known as The Yard, also having several windows smashed.
Outlining the individual roles played by the four defendants, Mr Ahmed played various pieces of footage capturing their activities.
Smith was seen masked confronting the police front line, which then advanced, in St Mary’s Way, near to the new City Hall.
As he retreated with his back to the police line he produced a bag containing a can of beer from his pocket and threw it from close range at officers, before being taken to the ground and bitten by a police dog.
Mr Ahmed said the officers arresting him were subject to hostility from others in the mob.
When interviewed he made no comment.
An anonymous member of the public contacted the police to identify Kellet, who he recognised on the footage, including some captured by an overhead drone filming the ongoing incident, despite him wearing a mask.
He was seen shouting abuse at police, throwing at least four missiles in their direction within 45 seconds and generally encouraging others to do the same, as shouts were heard of: “Push them back”.
When arrested the following day at his home in Washington the clothing he was seen wearing on the footage and his balaclava were all recovered by police.
He gave “no comment” replies in police interview.
Hodgson had been seen by police earlier in the afternoon drinking in two licensed premises in the Keel Square area, where people were gathering to take part in the “protest”.
She subjected a police liaison officer to verbal abuse, and when further reprimanded she swore and referred to the officer as, a “f***ing black c**t”.
Although she disappeared, she was seen later during the confrontation “arming” those throwing missiles with bricks and paving to hurl at police and encouraging others to do the same.
She deliberately ran into an officer but then left with several other people.
Later, she was captured on CCTV smashing a parked police car window.
Wearing distinctive pink shorts, she was seen repeatedly forcibly pushing industrial-size waste bins at the police line, to the cheers from onlookers in the crowd.
She was later seen with several others among the mob ransacking the police community hub premises, holding a traffic cone above her head.
Hodgson was arrested at her home in the city the following day when police had to force their way in after she refused to answer their knocks at the door.
She, also, made no comment when questioned.
Mr Ahmed said she had been seen unsuccessfully attempting to buy a balaclava mask at a post office earlier on the day of the disorder.
Makin was identified from footage of the unrest filmed by him and posted on his Instagram account.
He was seen glorifying and encouraging the destruction of buildings and attacks on the police lines with scaffolding poles.
Makin could also be heard joining in the singing of an English Defence League chant: “Whose streets? Our Streets”, as the mob was proceeding to attempt to demolish them.
He was heard shouting: “Every f***ing window, come on boys”, as the defenestration was taking place.
When he was arrested at his home two days later he was found using heroin and cocaine, despite claiming it was, “just ket (ketamine).”
A statement was read by Mr Ahmed from Northumbria Police Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine who described the “appalling scenes” in which her officers were met with, “serious and sustained acts of violence.”
She said they were attacked with bricks, concrete slabs and scaffolding poles, with four suffering injuries requiring hospital treatment, some not yet fit enough to return to front-line duties.
Police dogs and horses also came into the firing line, some shattered with glass and being hit by missiles, but none was said to have suffered, “lasting injury".
Ms Jardine estimated the damage could extend into the hundreds of thousands of pounds, with the police community hub likely to be out of use for some time and six of seven damaged police vehicles not yet ready to be returned to the road.
Defence representatives of the four defendants then offered mitigation to the court.
Andrew Espley, for Kellett, said his client wishes he could “turn the clock back a week”, now heavily regretting becoming involved.
He said he suffers from anxiety, depression, PTSD, and emotional unstable personality disorder, all of which Mr Espley said, “renders him liable to take part in an incident like this, when the opportunity arises.”
Helen Towers, for Smith, said he had been out of trouble for a number of years until getting involved in events that day, fuelled by heavy use of alcohol.
“He’s particularly disappointed in himself for going onto the street and taking part in the disruption.”
Miss Towers said he was bitten by a police dog during his arrest, leaving him with a lasting reminder of his, “poor decision-making that day.”
Annelisa Moscardini, for Hodgson, said the defendant accepts her use of alcohol has got her into trouble again, and is an issue she has yet to fully address.
“She acknowledges the harm she has done and is ashamed of her actions,” added Miss Moscardini.
Peter Thubron, for Makin, said he has no previous convictions and did not commit any violence or throw any missiles that day, having gone out merely to film events.
“He went out, out of curiosity, not to incite anything and it seems he got, 'sucked into' it.”
Mr Thubron said the defendant lacks maturity and was caught having posted the footage he took onto his own Instagram account.
See more court stories from The Northern Echo, by clicking here
- Three men convicted at court for taking part in Sunderland riots
- Two Filipino nurses were attacked during disorder in Sunderland
- What I saw the morning after the riot in Sunderland
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Having told all four they played a part in either the violence, the widespread damage or in the encouragement of those involved, Judge Sloan said all participated, in “mass disorder” and must expect to be punished by severe sentences, partly to deter others from copying their example.
Kellet and Hodgson received 30-month prison sentences and a 26-month jail term was imposed on Smith.
Makin was sentenced later to a term of two years imprisonment, as well as having his drugs forfeited to be destroyed.
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