Newport disorder: Teens sentenced over Pill 'siege'

Five teenagers have been sentenced after admitting their part in a "riot" which saw part of Newport city centre "under siege".

Police were targeted with fireworks, while motorists described "petrol bombs" being thrown at cars on Commercial Road, Pill, on 20 October.

Three teenagers - aged 16 to 17 - were sentenced to five months' custody at Cwmbran Youth Court on Tuesday.

Two 13-year-olds were handed non-custodial 12-month referral orders.

All five of the teenagers - who cannot be named - had earlier admitted violent disorder, with one of the 16-year-olds also admitting a separate charge of breaching a dispersal order.

District Judge David Parsons said no other sentences could be justified because of the "uninhibited, unlawful behaviour".

'Significant damage'

Prosecutor Paul Hewitt told the court police received calls at 19:45 BST to say youths had set off fireworks.

Officers arrived at the scene but a lit firework was thrown at them and, when about 20 youths began throwing stones and eggs, they retreated.

"At about 20:35, police were called to another riot on Commercial Road, where there were fires being set in bins and fireworks thrown at buildings," Mr Hewitt said.

"There was a large group in the street, throwing items at vehicles. The windscreen of a police van was smashed by a brick, causing significant damage."

Footage on social media showed the disorder in Pill, Newport

Mr Hewitt described wheelie bins being set alight and put into the road, "petrol bombs" being thrown at vehicles with "terrified" motorists making three-point turns to escape.

He added: "Local people were terrified. Police feared their vehicles would be pelted with fireworks and the entire area was under siege.

"A dispersal order was issued and a police helicopter was used to tell the crowd on loudspeaker."

Locals and motorists described "missiles and bombs" being thrown at cars and thousands of pounds worth of damage caused.

A video taken on a mobile phone was shown, with a youth heard shouting "there are Molotov cocktails out here, throw it" as cars were set alight.

Judge Parsons handed each of the three older defendants - two were aged 16 and one 17 - a 10-month detention and training order, half of which will be served in custody with the rest under supervision in the community.

He said the court had an "overwhelming obligation" to "protect the public in their homes or businesses or in the street".

"Those that partake in disturbances of this magnitude, causing harm and fear to even the most steel-hearted of residents, must be punished accordingly," he added.