Three men jailed for role in Bristol Kill the Bill riot

Gopal Clarke, Arthur Lazarus, and Henry Olohan have been jailed

Three people have been jailed for their role in violence that broke out following a Kill the Bill protest.

Gopal Clarke, 25, Arthur Lazarus, 23, and Henry Olohan, 24, pleaded guilty to crimes during the Bristol riot on the 21 March 2021.

Clarke was sentenced to 18 months for violent disorder. Lazarus was jailed for 20 months for the same offence.

Olohan, from Montpelier in Bristol, was jailed for eight months for affray and criminal damage.

Thousands of people gathered in Bristol city centre on the day of the riot to peacefully protest against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

But later that evening the protest turned violent outside Bridewell Street police station in the city centre.

Police vehicles were set on fire and the windows of the police station were smashed

The three were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Friday.

Clarke, of Kingswood, in Bristol, was recorded kicking officers on several occasions, as well as throwing an object at them from close range.

He took one of their batons with the help of another member of the public.

The footage also showed him using a police shield to ram officers and to strike several of them on the head with force.

Sentencing Lazarus, Judge James Patrick said: "You arrived near the front of the protest and were abusive to police, targeting them at just before 18:00 BST, as they were trying to keep the situation under control.

"You were pushing the line and throwing liquid and you used a police shield to attack officers."

A total of 26 people now have been jailed for offences committed during the riot, receiving a combined prison sentence of 85 years and one month, police said.

Det Supt Int James Riccio said: "This was a night of shameless and destructive violence and we welcome these latest sentences for the appalling crimes committed."