Oliver Chapman pleads guilty
Oliver Chapman, 23, of Duke Street, Radcliffe, pleaded guilty to violent disorder.
The court heard that Chapman was involved with a large-scale disturbance in Piccadilly Gardens on August 4.
Chapman did a ‘spin karate kick’ at shop window after being dropped off to shop by his mum – before throwing a tantrum in the cells
The court heard Chapman was involved with a large-scale disturbance in Piccadilly Gardens on August 4.
A few hundred people had gone down Mosley Street, before a large group began ‘kicking shop windows’.
“A large number of people were kicking at a mobile and vape shop, about a dozen,” prosecutor Robin Lynch said. “One person, not this defendant, picked up a street sign and threw it at a window. This defendant was then seen to do a spin karate kick against the window.
“The police managed to get into the area and this defendant was rugby tackled immediately.”
Chapman was wearing a balaclava at the time, as were a number of others, the court heard. Due to the amount of people he was given a dispersal notice and left the area. Further investigation led to him being arrested at his home in Radcliffe, where he lives with his parents. Officers found the balaclava in his home.
He accepted the offences in his police interview, and stated he was ‘sorry for what happened’.
He said he had been dropped off by his mum to go shopping for clothes, and said he got ‘mixed up in conversation’ with a group of demonstrators.
“He said he felt excited and there was an adrenaline build up, and a male handed him a balaclava which he put on and a bottle of wine. He said he spun and kicked though said he didn’t intend to cause any damage.”
He refused to say whether he was involved in any social media activity in relation to the demonstration and refused to provide a PIN code for his phone.
When he was taken into custody he became abusive towards police officers and threw coffee over his cell this morning, the court heard. A previous charge of criminal damage has since been dropped.
Mitigating, Bill Dowdall said Chapman had one previous conviction for a dissimilar matter, and said he had been cooperative at the time.
“He is not stupid, he is autistic,” he said. He said his client had a right to bail and said he had a settled address.
Remanding him into custody, District Judge Joanne Hirst said Chapman had become involved in ‘dangerous and unlawful’ disorder. She added that he could be expecting a jail term of three years.
“It is suggested there was a preplanned attendance to that civil disorder by you and you involved yourself in significant violent activity and damage to a local business,” she said.
Chapman will next appear at Manchester Crown Square on August 15.
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