Boy, 12, pleads guilty after appearing at TWO riots

A 12-year-old boy, thought to be one of the youngest rioters in the country, has pleaded guilty to two offences of violent disorder after being caught at TWO different riots.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was one of those who took part in a large-scale protest outside a hotel in Newton Heath on July 31 and in Manchester city centre on August 3, the court heard.

Prosecutor Tess Kenyon said that on July 31 a large group of people attended outside a hotel where it was believed that asylum seekers were being housed. She said footage showed a number of people standing off against the police and throwing missiles.

The boy was seen to hand a rock to another youth during the disorder.

She said there was also a group attacking a bus, which those attending the disorder believed was taking asylum seekers to the hotel.

“There were passengers on the bus and the driver on the bus was assaulted, and the windscreen was smashed” Ms Kenyon said.

“The boy was seen standing in front of the bus attempting to stop the bus and kicking the bus at the side as it drove past him.”

On August 3, a large group had congregated in Piccadilly Gardens. In footage obtained by the police, a large group were seen to attack shop fronts. The boy was seen by the police kicking the front window of a vape shop along with others, the court heard.

“A large group of people were then seen to storm a Sainsburys shop, knocking over shelves and looting. The boy was wearing a balaclava and was also seen to throw a missile at the police,” the prosecutor added.

Natasha McGarr, mitigating for the boy, said he accepted ‘full responsibility’ and he was ‘very sorry’ for what happened. She said he became involved with the disorder with his friends from school.

“He says he is absolutely ashamed. He says in hindsight he should have never been involved,” she said. “He is really upset for his mother that he’s had to put her through this.”

Asking his mum, who sat in the well of the court, if there were any issues regarding her son’s behaviour, she said that he had been to live with his nan for seven months as she struggled to control his behaviour.

“He came back as she couldn’t handle him,” she said.

“I’ve always had problems with him, trying to control his behaviour from a young age. He has an ADHD diagnosis. Other than me reporting him missing to the police, he’s not been in trouble before.

“When he lived with his nana in another area, he made new friends, and now he thinks he can just go there, he doesn’t listen to what I say.”

She said she was ‘very worried’ about her son, and said he sometimes didn’t come home when she had asked him to.

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