Three members of family jailed for joining in riot

Three members of a family who joined in a city centre riot in Sunderland last summer have all been put behind bars.

- by Karon Kelly

Brothers Cameron and John Williams and their cousin Connor Hicks were part of the mass disorder in Sunderland that mirrored the shocking scenes across the UK on August 2 last year.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the trio were in the city together and their actions that day, along with hundreds of others, were caught on CCTV.

Prosecutor Omar Ahmad told the court during the widespread trouble police officers, dogs and horses were pelted with missiles as violence flared that afternoon, and areas were unsafe for ordinary members of the public.

Mr Ahmad said:

"Officers were met with serious and sustained levels of violence. Officers were attacked with missiles and verbally abused.

"Four officers required hospital treatment and some are not fit enough to return to frontline duties.