A day in court after the Rotherham riot
Windows were smashed and fires lit at the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers
- Published
Days of rioting and unrest across the UK have resulted in more than 400 arrests and 100 people charged.
Police officers have been injured, businesses torched and places of worship attacked.
In South Yorkshire, trouble flared on Sunday outside the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, near Rotherham, which is being used to house more than 200 asylum seekers.
Fast forward 48 hours, and some accused of being part of the disorder have been making their first appearances in court.
Six people have been charged over the violent disorder at the hotel
Arriving at Sheffield Magistrates' Court, you could quickly see it was busier than normal.
Inside Courtroom 2, with its floor-to-ceiling glass dock, an extra usher has been drafted in to help, and the press benches are packed.
In the cells below, four men and two teenagers are waiting for their moment in court, all charged with being part of the violence.
Proceedings get under way at about 11:30 BST, with Christopher Rodgers the first brought into the room.
Wearing a grey t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms, he is told to stand as the clerk reads out the charge against him.
The 38-year-old from Barnsley is accused of being part of a group that was throwing missiles at police and then blocking the way as a line of officers moved forward.
'Chin up big lad'
Asked how he pleads to the charge of violent disorder, he replies: “Not guilty, my love."
After the short hearing, Deputy District Judge Simon Blakebrough deems Mr Rodgers' case so serious it can only be dealt with in the Crown Court.
Mr Rodgers is remanded in custody ahead of a hearing on 20 August.
His friends shout “chin up big lad” as they leave the court.
Over the course of the morning, others suspected of being part of the violence are brought into the courtroom, interspersed with other cases on the list for the day.
One man appears on a possession of cannabis charge, another is accused of stealing a bottle of wine.
Liam Grey (pictured above) is arrested by police
Next to appear charged in connection with the hotel attack is Liam Grey, a 20-year-old from Mexborough, who, we hear, took a four-mile journey to the hotel.
Arriving in the dock, he blows a kiss towards two women sitting in the public gallery while prosecutor Mark Hughes outlines the case against him.
He is alleged to have tried to take a riot shield from an officer as he pushed against the police line.
Mr Grey pleads not guilty and is remanded in custody to appear at Sheffield Crown Court on 20 August.
Head to the floor, he is led away by the dock officers. Blowing another kiss to the two women as he goes, he begins to cry.
Cries into a tissue
Before the lunch break Joshua Simpson admits his part in the trouble.
He had seen the scenes on social media and driven from Worksop.
The court heard that during the course of the disorder he had been abusive to police before kicking a riot shield, forcing it back on to an officer's leg.
After entering his guilty plea he is warned he is facing possible jail time and is remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on 27 August.
A 17-year-old boy is next to appear, alongside two dock officers, and is also accused of violent disorder.
The boy, who cannot be named because of his age, is accused of brandishing a piece of wood and making threats to people in the hotel.
He is the first to be granted bail today, being ordered to return to appear before Sheffield Youth Court on Wednesday, when he will enter a plea.
After lunch, the final two defendants appear in court.
Like those before him, a 16-year-old boy steps into the dock charged with violent disorder.
A woman at the back of the court covers her face with a tissue and cries while the judge addresses him.
He, too, enters no plea and is granted bail and ordered to return on Wednesday.
Last to appear is 42-year-old Lee Crisp, from Grimethorpe, Barnsley.
The prosecutor tells the court he is accused of actively encouraging others who were throwing missiles at the police and threatening violence towards the officers.
After a short hearing, he is remanded to appear at Sheffield Crown Court on 20 August following a not guilty plea.
Over the course of the day, South Yorkshire Police release details of more arrests being made.
These six may have been the first in court – they will not be the last.
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