‘Bouncing’ Middlesbrough rioter who shouted at cops to ‘come and fight him’ is locked up

Karl Croaker, 32, gesticulated at a line of police to come forward and fight him

A Middlesbrough rioter who gesticulated and shouted at a line of police to ‘come forward and fight him’ has been jailed.

Karl Croaker screamed at riot police: “F****** try it. Come on!” before he pushed an officer. The 32-year-old has spent the last seven months in prison on remand, since being arrested during the Middlesbrough riots on August 4.

On Monday, Croaker appeared at Teesside Crown Court to be sentenced, after pleading guilty to violent disorder at an earlier hearing. He stood in the dock as his solicitor Michele Turner told the judge that he is an “isolated individual or lives with his parents”. Ms Turner said that Croaker received messages about the planned protest, which started at the Cenotaph, and saw thousands walk along Linthorpe Road.

“He thought it was a protest about the rise in knife crime,” Ms Turner continued, ” and he was swept along with the emotion that day.” Croaker was caught on CCTV, “bouncing on his feet and gesticulating at officers to come forward and fight him,” Jenny Haigh, prosecuting, said.

Croaker could be seen on the footage in a black baseball cap, with a gold chain around his neck, making obscene gestures and goading a line of police. He screamed at them:: “F****** try it. Come on!” before he pushed an officer.

Ms Haigh said that the civil unrest had a huge affect on residents, who reported, “mobs hurling bricks, and chanting outside their homes.” Wheelie bins were set on fire; the windows of the court and Teesside University were smashed; and missiles were thrown at the police.

Judge Geoffrey Marson told Croaker that he “must have known what had happened in other cities and towns; and that the large scale public disorder was stoked by disinformation spread on social media. You had ample opportunity to leave, but you chose to stay.”

Croaker, of Longford Street in central Middlesbrough, was jailed for 20 months.

Gazette Live