The boy, who can’t be identified because of his age, had earlier admitted to a charge of violent disorder in the town of Southport on July 31…reports Asian Lite News
A 12-year-old boy who threw stones at police during rioting outside a mosque has become the youngest person to be sentenced so far over far-right riots that erupted in England this summer.
The boy, who can’t be identified because of his age, had earlier admitted to a charge of violent disorder in the town of Southport on July 31.
District Judge Wendy Lloyd sentenced the boy Tuesday to a three-month curfew order and a 12-month referral order, which requires him to commit to a rehabilitative program.
She told the boy the riots had “shaken society to the core.” “It was an angry mob and you chose to be part of it,” she said.
Rioting in Southport kicked off soon after a stabbing attack at a dance class in the town that left three young girls dead. False rumours spread online that the suspect in the attack was an asylum-seeker.
The boy was part of a crowd of hundreds of rioters who set a police van on fire and tried to storm the Southport Islamic Society Mosque. The violence quickly spread around towns and cities around the country, but the unrest fizzled out after the swift charging and sentencing of those found to be involved. Police have made more than 1,000 arrests and brought more than 800 charges.
The court heard that the boy handed himself in to Merseyside police after his mother recognised him when the force circulated images of people they wanted to speak to in connection with riots in the area.
Prosecuting, Angela Conlan played footage of the violence to the court. She also read statements from a police officer who was injured during the Southport incident and a mosque leader who was trapped inside with worshippers when the building was targeted by a mob.
“It was like being under attack in a war,” the mosque leader said. “I was very scared and worried.”
When smoke from fires that had been deliberately started during the violence came in through the mosque windows, he said he thought “if we do not get killed by the crowd, we’re going to die by smoke inhalation from the fire”.
“I am so drained by what has happened,” he said. “I’ve tried to keep going and be available to the community.”
Defending, Heather Toohey said the defendant had no previous convictions and had shown remorse for his actions.
The court also heard that the boy had not attempted to conceal his identity, nor had he gone to the area specifically with the intention to cause trouble.
While many adult rioters said they had become “caught up” in incidents of violence, Toohey said that “when you’re a young man, when you’re 12 years old, getting caught up in spontaneous acts is much more understandable, much more believable”.
Passing sentence, Lloyd told the boy: “You have had a complicated and in many ways sad young life.” She said that despite being 12, he had suffered problems with alcohol, which she described as “extremely concerning”.
“What you did that night was very wrong,” she said. “It really was a horrible situation, and you made it all the more horrible by joining in and throwing stones.”
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