Teenager first person to be charged with riot following recent disorder

The 15-year-old boy from Sunderland was arrested on Friday, August 9, as part of another round of early morning raids by Northumbria Police across the region.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted charges of violent disorder and the burglary of a vape shop when he appeared at a juvenile court sitting at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, August 10.

However, detectives who are reviewing hundreds of hours of footage captured during the widespread disorder in Sunderland city centre on August 2, now believe the boy was allegedly involved in further criminality.

As a result, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was given new evidence and when the boy appeared at South Tyneside Youth Court on Thursday (August 15), a more serious charge of riot was also laid. His case was adjourned until September 2.

The maximum sentence for violent disorder is five years in prison and for riot it is ten years.

Gale Gilchrist, Chief Crown Prosecutor for Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) North East, said: “Following a review of further evidence, the CPS has today laid a charge of riot in relation to a 15-year-old boy, following disorder that took place in Sunderland on August 2.

“This is the first such charge to be authorised by the CPS in the wake of recent unrest.

“This defendant is one of a number of individuals who we expect will be charged with riot.”

Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Simpson of Northumbria Police said: “I hope this sends a really strong message that, no matter how old you are, if you took part in the recent appalling events in Sunderland, you will face really serious charges.

“Our investigations team are doing a fantastic job trawling through the hours and hours of footage and intelligence we have from that night. I would like to thank the public who have continued to supply us with images, video and information to help us build that evidential picture.

“The team have worked amazingly quickly, with our criminal justice partners, to arrest those responsible and bring them before the courts.

“However, as that evidence picture continues to build, if it becomes apparent that an individual may have been involved in further criminality, they will be brought before the courts again and charged with the most serious offence possible.

“Our communities and my officers, staff and volunteers, suffered horrendously that night and those responsible need to be held fully to account.”

The CPS said other cases are in the process of being reviewed, and where the evidence supports it, a charge of riot will be sought.

Northumbria’s police and crime commissioner (PCC) Susan Dungworth has also condemned the violent disorder, which has caused “widespread distress and fear”.

Over recent weeks, some of the services funded by the PCC’s office have been raising concerns about how victim access to help has been “negatively impacted by the scenes of violence, disorder and racism they have either experienced, witnessed or seen on the news”.

“Attacks in cities and towns across the North East, as well as up and down the country, have caused widespread distress and fear felt particularly by people of diverse faiths, immigrants, and other minority groups,” said Ms Dungworth.

Highlighting the crucial role victim services play during times such as this, she said services are committed to finding ways to support people, remotely if necessary, and she does not want anyone to shy away from accessing help. She also reassured people that Northumbria Police has “every deployable officer out on the streets” to improve feelings of safety.

Ms Dungworth said: “It upsets me that people are saying they have been too afraid to leave their homes – be it for work or to access help. They’ve done this – the so-called protesters preaching nothing but hatred, abuse and violence.

“Those who have engaged in the violence have helped no one despite their empty claims of ‘doing it for our women and children. In fact as usual, women and children are disproportionately affected by this civil unrest, despite the demonstrators claiming to be doing it to protect women and children.

“Their actions have had a lasting impact on so many – young people who haven’t lived through things so bad, and older people who are reliving past traumas.

“Nobody in our region should be harmed, threatened, abused, or made to feel unwelcome based on their race, religion, nationality or any other protected characteristic, but it feels like for every step forward society has taken to combat hate, we have now taken two back.”