UK riots: Seven to be sentenced for Rotherham asylum-hotel attack

A 60-year-old man has been jailed for two years and eight months for attacking police officers at a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham.

Body-worn camera footage was played in court on Wednesday showing Glyn Guest repeatedly being pushed back by a riot shield as he approached a line of police six times outside the Holiday Inn Express, at Manvers, Rotherham, on Sunday August 4.

Guest eventually grabs another shield, causing an officer to fall to the floor to the cheers of the large crowd.

The female officer whose body-worn camera footage was played said in an impact statement how “I was terrified for my safety” during the disorder outside the hotel, which saw more than 50 police injured and attempts to storm and set light to the building.

The officer said “it was a horrific incident of mindless thuggery” and that she had encountered “nothing like it before” in her five and a half years of service.

The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, said the conduct of the “mob” was “vile towards the police officers”.

He told Guest: “You were part of a violent mob and you were playing your part to the full.”

Guest, 60, of Pearson Crescent, Wombwell, admitted violent disorder last week.

Two more people have been charged following violent disorder in Bristol city centre on August 3, Avon and Somerset Police said.

Benjamin Tavener, 35, of Charfield, south Gloucestershire, was charged with violent disorder and is due to appear at Bristol Magistrates’ Court later on Wednesday.

A 15-year-old boy was charged with violent disorder and is due to appear at court on Thursday.

A man accused holding an imitation AK-47 during counter-protests in Birmingham has appeared in court,

Habeeb Khan has pleaded not guilty at Birmingham Crown Court to a charge of possessing an imitation AK-47 with intent to cause “members of the EDL” (English Defence League) to believe violence would be used against them.

The 49-year-old, of Sparkbrook, Birmingham, also denied sending a communication threatening death or serious harm between August 4 and 6 in a video uploaded to social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

Khan, who is being held in custody, was ordered to stand trial on November 18.

Dorset Police have charged 40-year-old Kevin Searle, of Weymouth, with violent disorder and assault by beating of an emergency worker following a protest in Weymouth. He is due to appear at Poole Magistrates’ Court later.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Callaghan, of Dorset Police, said: “This latest arrest and charge demonstrates our continued commitment to take action against those believed to be involved in criminal activity during the recent protest activity.

“Our message remains very clear – we will not tolerate any reported hate, violence, or disorder in our communities.”

He is the fourth man to be charged with violent disorder at protests in Weymouth on Sunday, August 4.

– John Honey, 25, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and three charges of burglary at Lush, the O2 store and Shoezone in the city on 3 August.

– A 13-year-old girl has become the latest youngster to be convicted for her part in the widespread riots after admitting threatening unlawful violence outside a hotel housing asylum seekers.

– In Sheffield, a 19-year-old man who admitted throwing bricks and lighted arrows at police protecting a hotel housing asylum seekers was jailed for three years.

– Also in Sheffield, a 22-year-old self-employed construction worker Kaine Hicks was jailed for two years and eight months after admitting to hurling abuse at police protecting the hotel and pushing against officers’ shields.

Amongst those due in court today is seven men who will be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court following the attack on a hotel housing asylum-seekers in Rotherham.

Rioters set parts of the building on fire on Sunday August and pelted it with rocks and debris while asylum seekers were inside.

Men in balaclavas managed to push their way through a shattered window into part of the building, with police seemingly overwhelmed by the number of protesters.

A woman who is accused of posting a threatening Facebook post suggesting people “blow up a mosque with adults inside” is due to appear in court.

Julie Sweeney, 53, Lawtongate Estate in Church Lawton, Cheshire, will appear at Chester Crown Court after being charged with sending communication threatening death or serious harm.

Over 1,000 people have now been arrested for riot-related offences, the national policing body said.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council said in its latest update that 1,024 had been arrested and 575 charged across the UK. Those arrested include a 69-year-old accused of vandalism in Liverpool and a 11-year-old boy in Belfast.

• Craig Tunmore, 37, of Sutton, and Danny Fournier, 41, of Lambeth, are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court following Whitehall riots. Tunmore has been charged with assaulting an emergency worker and Fournier has been charged with assaulting an emergency worker and using threatening or insulting behaviour.
• Mark Bowen and Daniel Russell to be sentenced at Bristol Crown Court for violent disorder at a riot in Bristol on August 4.
• Julie Sweeney, 53, is due to appear at Chester Crown Court charged with sending communication threatening death or serious harm.
• Liam Ryan, 28, to be sentenced at Manchester Crown Court for being part of the group that attacked a black man in Manchester.
• Riley Adey, 19, and Reece Greenwood, 31, to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court after pleading guilty to violent disorder in Sunderland.
• Habeeb Khan to appear at Birmingham Crown Court accused of possessing an imitation AK-47, sending a communication threatening death or serious harm and harassment of a police officer.

More investment in frontline youth work could help keep young people away from violence and counter misinformation, a sector leader has said as children as young as 12 were convicted over the summer riots.

Analysis by the PA news agency shows at least 50 youths under the age of 18 have been charged in connection with the nationwide disorder.

On Monday, two 12-year-old boys were convicted on charges of violent disorder, while Tuesday saw a 13-year-old girl plead guilty to the same charge.

Kayleigh Wainwright, from leading youth work charity UK Youth, said it is “really sad” to see children “caught up in this”, whether perpetrators, victims or witnesses to scenes of unrest.

The director of youth sector innovation, whose career working with young people has spanned two decades, said those who committed crimes must take responsibility but voiced concern that children can be “more vulnerable”.

She told PA: “Of course those people, young or old, when they’re involved (in crime) need to take responsibility for that.

“But I think we see young people are more vulnerable when it comes to being manipulated with information, adults asking them to do things, being pushed to the front of these types of activities, and because they’re younger, maybe fitter, maybe more impressionable.

“In my career, I’ve never seen riots on this scale but it’s not unusual that young people would be involved in the ways I’ve said.”