England riots one year on: Culprits jailed for 1,800 years
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14504005
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As courts in England work round the clock to process a stream of riot-related cases, a clearer picture is emerging of who was involved.
Looting and disorder charges continue to dominate proceedings, but more serious offences of violent disorder are beginning to be heard.
Some magistrates courts in London sat throughout the night for a second time and there were late evening sittings in Birmingham and Manchester.
One student was given a six-month sentence for stealing a bottle of water, and BBC legal affairs correspondent Clive Coleman said tough sentences were "inevitable" given the public outrage.
Amongst those streaming into the dock at Westminster Magistrates Court was a teenager who has volunteered to be an Olympic Games ambassador.
Described as a "talented sportswoman", Chelsea Ives, 18, allegedly threw bricks at a police car during disturbances in Enfield, north London, on Sunday.
She denied violent disorder, attacking a police car, and two counts of burglary and was remanded in custody until next Wednesday.
A man who admitted handling stolen goods was jailed for 22 weeks at the same court after police found a strimmer and chainsaw worth £100 at his house.
Jamie Spears, 22, of Southwark, had said he bought the chainsaw for £20 "from a junkie" and found the strimmer outside Tesco on the Old Kent Road.
Two teenagers who decided to join in the rioting after returning home from their local youth club have been remanded in custody to be sentenced by the Crown court.
Charlie Burton and Mario Quirssaca, both 18, had spent Monday night playing football at a youth club. The court was told that when Burton got home he saw TV coverage of rioting in Croydon.
He told the police he was "up for it" and wanted to "create havoc", the court was told.
Quirssaca, described as a talented semi-professional footballer - whose first match of the season is on Saturday - said he "wanted to cause chaos".
Both were remanded in custody after admitting violent disorder in Sloane Square. Quirssaca also admitted stealing items worth more than £1,000 from clothing store Hugo Boss. Their families were said to be furious and ashamed.
Manchester Crown Court heard details of a case involving a man caught "red-handed" coming out of a looted Maplin electrical store carrying a Macmillan Cancer charity box containing £50.
Judge Berg told Daniel Bell, 30, from Stockport his crime was "probably the most despicable and contemptible I have had to deal with all day".
He added: "It is breathtakingly wicked. You ought to be ashamed of yourself."
Bell initially indicated he would deny the charges of burglary and theft, but changed his plea to guilty after Judge Berg told his solicitor the evidence was "cogent".
In the same court, student Hamza Abubakar, 19, from Moss Side, admitted taking a £200 camcorder from the same electrical store.
Despite no previous convictions, he had his bail application refused and was remanded in custody.
In the same court, Gary Herriot, 47, from Collyhurst, admitted handling £1,000 worth of jewellery from Links of London in Manchester - a store targeted by rioters.
Herriot, who has 126 previous convictions, admitted the charge and will be sentenced at Manchester Crown Court later.
Back at Westminster Magistrates Court, a care worker with a two-year-old child - charged with receiving stolen goods including four TV sets - was refused bail.
Regina Appiah, 25, from Clapham Park Estate, was likely to lose her job and accommodation and could even see her child taken into care if she was remanded in custody, her lawyer told the court.
Nevertheless the court remanded her.
Also remanded in custody to face a Crown court trial was Shereka Leigh, 22, from Tottenham, who was allegedly pictured trying on shoes after looting a sports store on Sunday.
She is accused of stealing items including footwear, a laptop computer and hair straighteners from Tottenham Hale retail park.
Cases were heard late on Thursday night at Birmingham Magistrates' Court, including Leonard Stephens, 22, from Bordesley Village who handed himself into police.
He admitted burglary of a sports shop and being involved in city centre disorder, and was remanded in custody for sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court on 8 September.
Wayne Collins, 24, from Luton and Renardo Farrell, 19, from Nechells were charged with violent disorder at the Barton Arms pub on Wednesday. Both will appear at Crown Court on 26 September.
Craig Rollason, 39, from Newtown, admitted assaulting police, damaging a police vehicle and racially abusing an officer. He was remanded in custody until 23 August.
Anthony Robinson, 24, from Handsworth denied charges of violent disorder following trouble in Toll House Way, Smethwick, on Wednesday and attacks on ambulance staff later in Victoria Way. He remains in custody ahead of a Crown court appearance on 22 September.
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Bang 'em up ! Bang 'em all up!
:mad:
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