Warnings from judge as rioters sentenced

THERE were tears in court, shouts of ‘I love you’ from the public gallery, and a stern warning from the judge yesterday, as a second batch of rioters were handed sentences for their part in the 2023 disturbances in Ely, Cardiff.

- PHILIP DEWEY

Ten defendants appeared in the dock, with seven handed jail terms ranging from four years and three months to six years.

Three female defendants - two of whom were aged 16 and 17 at the time of the riot, and a third who was pregnant when she appeared in the dock yesterday - were given community orders.

There was also a small outburst following the jailing of Jamie Bateman.

There was clapping from the public gallery and shouts of ‘I love you’ prompting Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke to say: ‘Do not shout across the courtroom... Leave the courtroom as quickly as you can’.

Someone then shouted out ‘Bye.’

Yesterday’s sentencing followed angry scenes in court on Wednesday which saw abuse and obscene gestures directed at the judge.

The Ely riot broke out on the evening of May 22, 2023, following the deaths of Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, who were killed in an ebike collision in Snowden Road in the Cardiff suburb.

A total of 31 police officers and one civilian were injured during the hours of rioting. South Wales Police has estimated that the riot cost the force 1m to deal with.

At yesterday’s hearing, the public gallery was packed with family members and friends of the defendants.

As proceedings got under way, Judge Lloyd-Clarke reminded those in the public gallery to remain silent throughout the hearing.

‘Stones as missiles’

First in the dock yesterday was Jamie Jones.

The judge said: ‘[He] arrived relatively late at the scene together with Jordan Bratcher. They were at the back of the crowd facing the police line.

‘At 8.38pm, as the police line advanced on Snowden Road, he was one of several people who entered a garden and collected stones to use as missiles. He threw three missiles in quick succession before returning to the garden, collecting a food waste bin and throwing it at police, narrowly missing Lee Robinson and striking an officer.’