Ely riot accused tells jurors he is not a bad person

Police officers wearing riot gear stand in front of police vehicles. Several police vans  can be seen in the background. A blue light glows on the plastic shield one officer holds in front of his face Image source, PA Media
Image caption,

Riot police were deployed in Ely to try to contain angry crowds

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A man accused of rioting in Cardiff two years ago when he was 18, has told a jury "I am not a bad person".

Jaydan Baston, now 21, has been giving evidence at the trial of eight people charged with rioting in May 2023 when violence broke out following the deaths of two teenage boys in Ely.

The court heard Mr Baston had been playing football with friends in nearby Caerau at about 17:00 BST on 22 May 2023 when one of the group received a phone call telling them that someone had fallen off a bike.

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, were killed when their e-bike crashed on Snowden Road.

Mr Baston said he had been "mates" with the two boys for about five years, describing them as "loved" and respected" .

He was seen on drone footage at 21:11 throwing an object he said he believed was a piece of plasterboard "towards the police".

"Straight away I know I had made a mistake," he said, adding he then "gathered my thoughts and then decided it was time to go home".

"I wasn't there to cause trouble," he added.

"I just wanted to know if my mates were alive or dead."

Under cross examination from prosecutor Matthew Cobbe, he was asked why he could be seen smiling at various points as tensions escalated.

"I always have a smile on my face," he replied and said one moment had shown him reacting "immaturely" to a man throwing a nappy at the police.

A composite photo showing two men, both outside of court. Jayden on the left is looking past the camera. He has on a blue suit jacket and a white shirt open a the neck His hair is short at the sides and long on top, parted across his forehead. He is clean shaven. Jordan on the right is looking down and had on a white round neck top. he had short brown hair and a stubble beardImage source, Athena Pictures
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Jaydan, left, and Jordan, right, deny the charge of riot

Asked about his police interview following his arrest in which he called police "murderers" and appeared to blame them for what happened, he said "my head was in a different place at that time."

"I made a mistake on that night," he explained.

"I was panicking, my head was properly scrambled, I just wanted to get out of there as quick as possible."

The court heard Mr Baston lost his job "on the bins" with Cardiff council because of the allegations and he had struggled to get a job since.

He also told the jury how he was a member of a football team called H&K Forever Young which was set up by the community to "remember the boys".

Earlier Jordan Bratcher, 27, gave evidence, saying he regretted throwing a stone at police which he described as a "stupid mistake."

He explained how he lived at Glyndwr Road in Ely with his grandmother who he helped look after and said he went the short distance to the scene of the accident Snowden Road on the evening of 22 September because he was "being nosy".

A car alight with flames and debris on the ground around it.Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Litter and burnt cars were left on the street after trouble flared in Ely, Cardiff, in May 2023

Under cross examination, Mr Bratcher denied he was enjoying himself as he threw a stone but said he had been "angry and frustrated" at "the way police were treating people."

Asked why he answered "no comment" to all questions in his police interview on 20 September 2023, he said: "I didn't want to tell them nothing."

Twenty-three police officers were treated in hospital following the unrest and 14 vehicles were damaged, some extensively, including two police cars, jurors were told.

Lee Robinson, 38, from Caerau; McKenzie Danks, 22, from Caerau; Michaela Gonzales, 37, from Ely; Zayne Farrugia, 25, from Caerau; Jordan Bratcher, 27, from Ely; Jaydan Baston, 21, from Caerau; Connor O'Sullivan, 26, from Ely; and Luke Williams, 31, from Caerau, deny the charge of riot.

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