A man at the forefront of a mob confronting the police line during recent unrest after a protest in Sunderland is the latest to be jailed for involvement in the disorder.

Dean Vincent Groenewald was today (Monday August 19) sentenced to 26 months’ imprisonment after previously admitting a charge of violent disorder.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that the 32-year-old defendant, who was on post-sentence supervision at the time after serving a prison sentence for burglary in 2022, was seen with a hood up, on his phone, in front of the police line, as officers tried to quell mounting unrest late on the afternoon into the early evening of Friday, August 2.

Emma Dowling, prosecuting, said the defendant had been in the Keel Square area and was seen talking on his phone, as a large group of people “faced off” with the police line.

(Image: Northumbria Police)

Miss Dowling said while on his phone Groenewald did not do anything aggressive, but film footage has emerged showing him picking up a brick or part of a paving slab and throwing it in the direction of the police officers.

He was identified and arrested on August 8 and while accepting having been in the area at the time, he denied being the person seen throwing the missile, when questioned.

But the defendant, of Ryhope, Sunderland, subsequently admitted the charge of violent disorder when he went before magistrates, a few days after his arrest.

The court heard Groenewald’s record of 30 convictions for 55 offences includes cases of public order and violence, while he was previously subject of an anti-social behaviour order.

Miss Dowling said the Chief Constable of Northumbria has made a victim impact statement outlining the impact of the disorder on the force’s manpower, its vehicles and buildings, as well as the cost to businesses in the Sunderland city centre area, with the overall damage estimated at more than £1m.

Four officers were injured on the night and not all have recovered sufficiently to return to front-line duties, while several police vehicles were damaged, some of which have yet to be repaired to enable them to go back on the road.

A police hub in Waterloo Place was ransacked, while a vape shop was looted and a citizen’s advice office was also badly damaged.

(Image: North News)

Claire Anderson, in mitigation, said the defendant was fully aware that he was facing a custodial sentence.

She said he told her that he had not taken any substances that day and was not part of the planned protest.

“He knew of the planned protest and went along to Keel Square to see what was going on.

“He was standing and was on his phone talking to a friend for quite a lot of the footage in front of the line of officers doing their public duty.

“He was not actively encouraging participation in the violence at that point when he was on the phone.

“He wasn’t involved in the initial march through the city centre and wasn’t trying to conceal his face or identity.

“My instructions are that he got carried away in the moment and for some inexplicable reason picked that item up and threw it at the police.

“It wasn’t specifically aimed at them, but in their general direction and, fortunately, no-one was hurt by his actions.

“He can’t explain what the purpose was of his mindless yobbery.

“Nosiness got the better of him on that occasion earlier this month.”

She said his role in the disorder was less than many involved, but she added: “I accept he was an active participant, but not a persistent one.”

Miss Anderson said Groenewald has been in custody since his arrest and has acquired a job in the prison servery at HMP Hull.

(Image: The Northern Echo)

Judge Sloan told the defendant that what was a planned protest, mirroring what happened in many other towns and cities, ended in, “an orgy of violence, destruction and widespread disorder”.

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He said there were “serious acts of violence, but persistent and sustained”, with the disorder having, “an appalling impact.”

Judge Sloan said those who took part must be punished, in part to deter others from repeating such behaviour.

Imposing the immediate prison sentence, the judge said an aggravating feature in Groenewald’s case was the fact he was partly covering his face and was at the “forefront of the disorder”, picking up and throwing the paving stone or slab towards the police line.