An 18-year-old man has become the first Rotherham rioter to be jailed, as Sheffield’s most senior judge condemned the teen for rocking a CCTV van, leaving a police officer fearing for his life.

Kenzie Roughley, of Barnsley Road, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, was filmed punching and kicking a South Yorkshire Police CCTV van as hundreds of people battled with officers outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in the Manvers area of Rotherham, Sheffield Crown Court has heard. The teenager participated in the disorder, after arriving at the scene with his father.

Footage of the van being rocked from side to side, with its rooftop mast swinging alarmingly, was one of many dramatic images of the violence which unfolded on Sunday, August 4, 2024.

18-year-old Kenzie Roughley, of Barnsley Road, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, was filmed punching and kicking a South Yorkshire Police CCTV van as hundreds of people battled with officers outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Wath-upon-Dearne, Rotherham, Sheffield Crown Court heard

Sentencing Roughley to two years and four months in youth custody, the Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, told him this afternoon (August 9, 2024): “ “There was major civil disorder in the Manvers area of Rotherham. It was part of wider, national civil unrest.

“It was fostered by some form of malignancy in society spread by malevolent users of social media. The disorder was racist in character and extremely frightening for anyone who was there. It was perpetrated by an ignorant mob, of which you were a part.”

“You were part of a group desirous of provoking police officers and spreading hate. It was an incident of major public disorder which has badly damaged the reputation of Rotherham and South Yorkshire. It would have – and doubtless did – terrify the ordinary decent citizens of that town.”

He added: “It must be made clear that those participating in this form of violent disorder will be punished severely by the courts. It is the duty of the court to do what it can to protect the public.”

Sheffield Crown Court heard how the CCTV van attacked by Roughley and others contained a single PCSO (police community support officer), who was monitoring the developing disorder using three cameras on top of the van.

Prosecutor, Neil Coxon, said the officer began to ‘sense’ the danger from the crowd, who, by that time, had ‘become volatile towards the police, and towards police vehicles’.

“He was at the back of the van and suddenly started to feel the vehicle rock from side to side. Says he could clearly hear a lot of banging and jeering on the near side of the van.”

Mr Coxon then referred to the officer’s statement, in which he said: “It was at this time I feared the van may be turned over. At the same time I received a message from control on my radio to move off and escape the crowd.”

The officer continued: “I got into the cab. At this time, the van was about to turn over, and I genuinely feared for my life because of the extreme volatility of the crowd.”

In the CCTV footage of the incident shown to the court, Roughley can be seen to bang on the window of the cab, and make several unsuccessful attempts to open the door, before continuing to kick and punch it.

After making his way into the cab of the vehicle, the officer managed to drive away before it overturned.

Mr Coxon told the court that police were able to identify Roughley, both through footage taken of the incident, and from his ‘fingerprints found on the van’.

Two of the individuals shown in the footage were wearing gloves, but Roughley, and another were not.

Around seven minutes before the incident involving the van, Roughley was involved in ‘taunting the police’ with a group of men, before his attempt to use paving slabs he picked up from the pavement area as ‘missiles’ were thwarted by officers.

Judge Richardson told Roughley: That was a very threatening incident and you were well to the fore. Even though you are just 18 years of age, you were entirely at ease in the company of men much older than you.”

“You picked up what appeared to be small paving slabs from the pavement area. It was plainly your intention to use these as missiles in the disorder. You were prevented from doing so by police action.”

The court heard how Roughley then went on to abuse nearby officers, shouting ‘dirty b******s’.

Directing his abuse to a female officer, Roughley said: “She was fucked by a teacher and the teacher raped her when she was 12”.

He then threatened to ‘flick’ a cigarette at officers, before telling one: “I hope you get hit over the head by a brick and curl over you fat c***.”

“You said these things whilst the ignorant mob, of which you were a part, were chanting racist abuse: “Allah, Allah, who the f*** is Allah”. That was vile racist abuse,” said Judge Richardson.

Police circulated information among the community stating Roughley was wanted and he subsequently handed himself in at Barnsley police station on August 7, 2024 – three days after the riots took place.

In a statement read to the court from South Yorkshire Police’s chief constable, Lauren Poultney, she said: “Police officers from across South Yorkshire put themselves in danger to prevent and detect crime to keep communities safe…to keep the King’s peace.

“400 people descended on Manvers intent on spreading fear, leaving communities terrified and intimidated. My officers arrived on duty to stand between the public and harm and were faced with abhorrent violence and abuse.

“Many were, or saw their colleagues, injured. They were physically and verbally abused whilst cameras were placed in their faces by their attackers, desperate for a reaction. Their families at home watched the situation unfold across the news and social media, no doubt afraid and worried for their loved ones at work.”

Detailing Roughley’s criminal history, Mr Coxon told the court that he has two criminal convictions for assaulting an emergency worker, the first of which dates back to April 2022, when he was 15-years-old.

Mr Coxon said Roughley, along with three other youths and some adults, was involved in an assault upon an officer who was left ‘seriously injured’.

Mr Coxon said Roughley’s role was ‘peripheral’ but ‘he had a can in his hand and was seen to throw it towards the officer.” Roughley received a six month referral order for that offence of assaulting an emergency worker.

The court heard how on the date that referral order expired in December 2023, Roughley racially abused another police officer as he was being arrested for an unrelated matter.

Roughley used pejorative racial slurs, threatened to ‘smash’ the officer and said he would ‘find his wife’. Roughley was sentenced to a referral order for that incident just one month before participating in the Rotherham riots.

Mr Coxon noted that while Roughley has a relatively short criminal record, which also includes two cautions, it has begun to be characterised by offending against the police.

Defending, Emma Coverley said Roughley went to the incident with his father.

Judge Richardson asked: “Is his instruction to you that he was led by his father?”

Ms Coverley said that would not be inconsistent with the instructions she had been provided.

Ms Coverley suggested that the presence of Roughley’s father ‘may be why he does appear somewhat more comfortable and at home than others’.

She described Roughley’s upbringing as ‘torrid’ and ‘difficult’; and had required involvement from social services due to ‘neglect, concerns about emotional harm’ and a long history of ‘parental domestic abuse’ along with their history of ‘alcohol and substance misuse’.

Judge Richardson noted that Roughley was not supported by anyone in court, and suggested his father may not be present due to fears of being arrested.

Sending Roughley to begin his sentence, Judge Richardson said he was ‘mindful’ of Roughley’s young age and ‘deplorable upbringing’ but said a sentence of immediate imprisonment was ‘inevitable’.

He added: “I am very mindful of your age and the fact that someone does not suddenly transform to an adult at the age of 18, but you were behaving in the past as a youth who was basically out of control at a young age.

“The time has now come for you to be punished for your role in an exceptionally serious incident of public disorder. There will be those who come before the courts in due course who will have conducted themselves in a worse fashion.

“You were part of a violent mob – and you were playing your part to the full. You were not being directed by others. You were doing this of your own volition.”

“You have brought shame on yourself and the town in which you live. You must be punished for what you did…take him down.”

Roughley did not react as his sentence was passed down, but appeared to shout something after being led out of court and out of earshot of Judge Richardson.

Sheffield Star