Lush looter during Hull riot admits it was ‘the stupidest thing I ever did’

Hull Crown Court heard he had ‘no excuse’ for his ‘moronic behaviour’

A “moronic” looter took advantage of the violent scenes of mass disorder in Hull city centre to go into the Lush store, grab a bag and shamelessly help himself to as much as he could carry.

Father-of-two Josh Hill brazenly targeted the shop after it was broken into during the notorious day of rioting in August. He now wished he “could turn the clock back” and later confessed: “It was the stupidest thing I ever did.” He realised that there was “no excuse” for his opportunist actions, Hull Crown Court heard.

Hill, 27, from Hull but recently of no fixed address, admitted an offence of burglary at the Lush store on August 3.

The court heard that a large-scale demonstration took place in Hull city centre, similar to protests that had been organised nationally after the deaths of three girls in Southport.

Police went to fights in King Edward Street and they were called to disorder outside the Royal Hotel in Ferensway, where asylum seekers were living at the time. The disorder spilled out to the cenotaph area opposite the hotel.

There was also disorder at a tyre business in the Milky Way area and fires were set as well as cars being damaged. A number of shops in Jameson Street were targeted by looters, including Lush, Shoezone, O2 and Greggs.

Hill was among those who “took advantage” of the disturbances that were going on in the city and he went into the Lush store. He was seen picking up a paper bag and “filling it with as much as he could” before leaving.

The total bill to Lush, including extensive damage, loss of stock, the interruption to business and increased insurance, had been put at more than £31,000, the court heard.

Ben Hammersley, mitigating, said that Hill pleaded guilty at an early stage. He had only a few previous convictions and none for dishonesty offences. He acted out of character.

“He has no excuse for what he did,” said Mr Hammersley. “He went in to see what was going on and he says that he got carried away. He wishes to apologise to those affected and he wishes that he could turn the clock back.”

Hill had said: “It was the stupidest thing I ever did.” Alcohol was a factor at the time in disinhibiting him and causing him to show “moronic behaviour” at a time when his life was “a bit of a shambles” anyway.

Hill wanted to have stable accommodation but he had delayed trying to find this because of the uncertainty about what would happen to him in the court case. He had two children aged six and two.

Hull, who had been on bail, was given a 10-month suspended prison sentence and 200 hours’ unpaid work.

Hull Live