Hartlepool man sentenced for violent disorder got ‘carried along’, lawyer says
A Hartlepool man has been sentenced to 16 months’ detention after pleading guilty to violent disorder.
Kieron Gatenby, 19, of Yeovil Walk, Hartlepool, was part of a group throwing bottles and bricks at police and smashing windows of houses, cars and shops while chanting racial slurs.
The teen, who has no previous convictions, was not motivated by far-right ideology and “got carried along” by the crowd, his lawyer Calum McNicholas told Teesside Crown Court earlier today.
He was arrested the day after the disorder as he rode his bike in town after police recognised him from bodycam footage where he was seen throwing an egg.
Gatenby, who will serve his sentence in a young offenders’ institution, denied having any racist beliefs but admitted his behaviour was unacceptable.
Far-Right Criminals 