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Bricklayer jailed for throwing fire extinguisher and chair at police at hotel

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September 25, 2024
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Ashley Williams was caught on CCTV as he roamed around the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham with a fire extinguisher in his hand.

A bricklayer who went into a hotel which was besieged by rioters before throwing a fire extinguisher and a chair at police has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Ashley Williams, 21, was caught on CCTV as he roamed around the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, Rotherham, on August 4 with a fire extinguisher in his hand as more than 200 asylum seekers took shelter upstairs and staff barricaded themselves into the kitchen.

The footage was shown at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday along with further clips which showed him emerging from the building, wearing very distinctive “neon green” shorts and a t-shirt, and throwing the fire extinguisher at a line of police officers with riot shields who were pinned against a wall.

Williams, of Lowfield Walk, Denaby Main, South Yorkshire, then re-joined the large crowd which was screaming at the officers and throwing missiles before emerging again to throw a chair at the line of shields.

The court heard how 64 police officers, four horses and a dog were injured in the violence outside the hotel and the mob tried to set fire to the building as a number of people smashed their way in through a fire door.

James Burley, defending, said his client came from a “stable, loving home” and is “adamant there is no issue of racist intent”.

Mr Burley said Williams, who admitted violent disorder at an earlier hearing, has ADHD and has recently also been diagnosed with autism.

Judge Sarah Wright acknowledged that the defendant “struggled with consequential thinking” and had no previous convictions.

But she said he played a willing role in the violence.

Judge Wright said the disorder was “truly frightening” and added: “The police officers behaved with immense professionalism in the face of a determined and violent mob.”

More than 50 people have now been sentenced following the incident at the hotel.

Also on Wednesday, Nathan Annables, 25, of Manor Avenue, Goldthorpe, pleaded guilty to violent disorder in relation to the violence in Manvers.

He was remanded in custody to appear again at Sheffield Crown Court on October 16.

Evening Standard

Rioter whose mum saw him on TV news is jailed

By
September 25, 2024
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A rioter who was part of a mob that stormed a hotel and hurled a fire extinguisher at police has been jailed.

Ashley Williams, 21, was filmed entering the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, Rotherham, on 4 August through a damaged fire exit.

Sheffield Crown Court heard earlier that the “neurodivergent” bricklayer then threw both a chair and the fire extinguisher at officers.

Williams, of Lowfield Walk, Denaby Main, was jailed for two years and six months on Tuesday.

Stable and loving home

He was among more than 50 people who have so far been sentenced or detained for their involvement in the disorder in Manvers.

A group of up to 400 people gathered outside the hotel, which was home to 200 asylum seekers at the time. Fires were started, windows smashed and missiles thrown.

Stephanie Hollis, prosecuting, said more than 60 officers were injured, according to figures from South Yorkshire Police.

Ms Hollis said the defendant was seen wearing distinctive neon green shorts and a t-shirt as he walked through the hotel’s reception area.

The court heard Williams’ mother saw his face appear on Sky News footage of the riot and urged him to hand himself in.

Richard Burley, defending, said Williams was “genuinely remorseful” and had initially attended the scene “just to look”.

“He is adamant it was no issue of racist intent,” Mr Burley said.

The court heard Williams came from “a good, stable, loving home” and had been diagnosed with ADHD and autism.

Mr Burley said his client, who had no previous convictions, knew he must be punished and was not “hiding behind his neurodivergence”.

Judge Sarah Wright accepted Williams struggled with “consequential thinking” and that his offending had been “out of character”.

Sentencing him to two years and six months, she told him: “You joined in hurling abuse at officers, you threw a fire extinguisher at officers.

“You later hurled a chair violently towards them.

“Your behaviour was violent and persistent.”

BBC News