Masked teen armed himself with a stick

Suspended jail term for man who held mop 'as a weapon'

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A TEENAGER has been spared jail after he put on a mask and armed himself with a stick during the Hanley riot.

Raha Mohammed - who was just 18 at the time - was at the mosque in Town Road, Hanley, when he got caught up in the trouble on August 3 last year.

Mohammed was seen on CCTV throwing a 'stone' towards the group in front of police. He then went back to the mosque where he put on a face mask and picked up a 'white stick,' which he said was a mop. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard he was identified to police and was arrested on February 20.

Nicholas Tatlow, prosecuting, said: "This defendant was present at the mosque and he was in the group of counter-protesters who broke away from the main group and were trying to get to protesters.