Hartlepool mother locked up after she threw rock at police

Mother-of-one Tamsyn Cerr was caught on camera confronting the police cordon in Hartlepool before throwing an object at an officer.

Drone footage of the incident also captured the 21-year-old running away as police officers moved forward in an attempt to disperse the violent disturbance.

Teesside Crown Court watched footage as she passed a missile to another rioter which was then thrown towards the cordon.

Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said: “This is a case where the evidence is overwhelming from the outset.

“She can be seen throwing an item at police lines and then she is seen handing an accomplice an item which was then thrown towards officers.”

The court heard how the young defendant had no previous offences on her record.

Tamsyn Cerr (Image: Cleveland Police)

Cerr, of Firby Close, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to violent disorder following the civil unrest in Hartlepool on July 31.

Calum McNicholas, mitigating, said the young mother helped her blind father to get around as well as taking her child to medical appointments.

He said: “This is somebody who prides herself on the care that she provides to her young daughter, to her vulnerable father and also on the work she has done in the community."

Violent disturbance tore the heart of the Hartlepool community (Image: Newsquest)

See more court stories from The Northern Echo by clicking here

• Prolific burglar branded menace to businesses as he was jailed for latest spree
• Darlington thug jailed for slashing a man across the face with a machete
• Armed gang of killers locked up for 46 years following death of Lee Clarkson

Get more from The Northern Echo with a digital subscription. Get access to the latest offer for annual or monthly subscription. Click here for details.

Mr McNicholas said Cerr had helped teach drums to a Hartlepool-based charity.

The lawyer urged the judge to take into account that his client took her father and her daughter to medical appointments and her jailing would have a detrimental impact on both.

Judge Francis Laird KC sentenced the young mother to one year in custody for her role in the largescale violent disorder that blighted Hartlepool town centre.

“You were observed, firstly, throwing a missile at police officers from close quarters. Secondly, handing a missile to another who also threw it towards police lines,” he said.