“If they had all been shopping, one can only imagine the substantial profit Greater Manchester businesses would have made”

A lawless looter encouraged others to ransack a Sainsburys during widespread disorder in Manchester city centre.

Charlie Mott, 28, was captured on CCTV footage wearing a face covering as he gestured to a large group of rioters to go into the store on Mosley Street. He then followed them in, and stole numerous items.

As others stole large amounts of alcohol, one man was seen to run out of the store carrying bunches of bananas. A judge described it as ‘delinquent behaviour’ which ‘took advantage’ of the unrest.

The court heard that the disorder followed the tragic events in Southport in which three little girls were killed and others were injured. False rumours began to circulate online as to the identity of the person responsible and as a result a number of ‘protests’ were arranged across the country, including in Greater Manchester, prosecutor Duncan Wilcock said.

On August 3, Mott was seen in Piccadilly Gardens where the disorder began before making his way down to Mosley Street. Prosecutors described the protest as a ‘predominantly right-wing group’.

“This incident was nothing to do with the protests. This was delinquent behaviour by a group of people on Mosley Street taking advantage of the situation,” sentencing judge Patrick Field KC.

“This wasn’t a protest, this was a raid on a shop.”

The court heard that Mott was seen outside Sainsburys shortly before it was attacked by a ‘mob’, and he was seen to be ‘ushering’ others to go in and steal. He then went into the store and stole items, it was said.

“There were customers inside including a woman with a pushchair with her young child,” Mr Wilcock continued.

The store manager said he received information from the security staff that the group would be making their way down Mosley Street and came out onto the shop floor to help his staff. He said he could see people taking bottles of booze from the aisle and told staff to ‘let them take what they want’ as he was concerned for his staff’s safety.

In footage shown from outside the store, Mott was described as ‘encouraging’ people. A ’significant’ number of people were seen in the footage to charge into the store and run out with various items, including one man with a bunch of bananas.

“It’s rather apt that they stole bananas, isn’t it,” Judge Field said.

Inside the store, staff can be seen standing to one side in fear as the group ransacked the shelves. At one point a man from the group is seen to stop others from going inside before helping staff clean up some of the items strewn across the floor.

Mott was later seen to be one of many who joined in an attack upon a vape shop front. He was identified following a CCTV appeal. He was said to have a number of previous convictions including for theft and public order offences.

Mitigating, Megan Horner said her client was ‘extremely remorseful’. “He tells me he went into the city centre to go shopping, as with many others he got caught up in the protest,” she said.

“He fully accepts he got completely carried away with the mob mentality.”

Judge Field said he was ‘yet to encounter’ an offender who had gone for the purpose of joining the mob.

“If they had all been shopping, one can only imagine the substantial profit Greater Manchester businesses would have made,” he remarked.

Ms Horner added that Mott wasn’t intending to encourage others, instead he was ‘beckoning’ to two friends to get out of the way as he could see the police were coming.

“It’s quite clear you took advantage of the widespread disorder and with a group of others you took part in what can only be described as looting of Sainsburys,” judge Field said.

“Your behaviour was lawless, irresponsible and wholly unacceptable.”

Mott, of Barton Close, Eccles, was jailed for 18 months. He previously admitted violent disorder, theft from a shop and criminal damage.
Manchester Evening News