Woman smashed bottle on police car in Cardiff riot

Janine Reffell was shouting at officers, calling them killers, saying she hoped they "burn to death" and "should be put down", the court heard

A 53-year-old woman has been given an 18-month community order after damaging a police car during riots in Cardiff in 2023.

Janine Reffell was not charged with taking part in the riots in the Ely area, but was verbally abusing officers at one of the cordons on the evening of 22 May, 2023, before damaging a police car.

The disorder spread after friends Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died when their electric bike crashed minutes after South Wales Police officers had been following the boys. Reffell told Cardiff Magistrates' Court she was remorseful for her actions.

A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also sentenced in connection with the riots.

The court heard how Reffell, from Ely, had been drinking that night and arrived at the cordon on Wilson Road just before 23:00, when the riots were taking place on neighbouring Stanway Road.

Alex Orndal, prosecuting, said the 53-year old was among half a dozen people along the cordon and "was shouting at the officers" calling them killers, saying she hoped they "burn to death" and "should be put down".

During the disorder Reffell had a "bottle of alcohol in her hand", with body worn footage showing her lean over the rear windscreen of an already damaged police car and repeatedly hitting the bottle against it until it smashed.

Disorder quickly erupted as crowds of about 100 to 150 people gathered at the scene of the boys' deaths

The Peugeot 308 was estimated to have a value of £4,900.

Nathan Jones, defending Reffell, said she was "remorseful for her actions" and "appreciates how serious it is", pleading guilty at the first opportunity.

He said that since hearing the language she used on that night she was "mortified".

District Judge Stephen Harmes asked her to stand before handing down her sentence saying: "Ely’s reputation has been blackened," and although it was clearly an "emotion-filled day" that "doesn’t excuse any of the behaviour".

Reffell was given an 18-month community order for criminal damage and ordered to pay a total of £744 in compensation and charges.

Cars were torched and property was damaged during the disorder

'Victim of trafficking'

A 17-year-old boy was also sentenced in the youth court, having pleaded guilty to making threats to cause criminal damage.

The court heard that the boy, who was 16 at the time, was at a cordon on Stanway Road, on the other side of the street to the disorder taking place, when he began making threats at officers.

Cycling around the crowds on a bike, the boy told officers that “Ely police station is going up in flames” and that he would be “smashing three of those vans tonight”.

District Judge Stephen Harmes said he acknowledged that the boy had pleaded guilty and that since entering the criminal justice system it had been revealed that he was a victim of trafficking which made him a vulnerable person at the time.

The judge also applauded the work done by the youth offending service saying that he “needed to realise what he had done is wrong” but “didn’t intend to throw his future away”, making a referral order for nine months.