The first defendant in the UK to admit a charge of riot following recent nationwide unrest has been jailed for more than four years.
Kieran Usher, 32, from Hendon, Sunderland, was in a group of 20 people who threw missiles at police during a night of violence in the city on 2 August.
He was jailed for a total of four years and four months at Newcastle Crown Court today after admitting a charge of riot at a previous hearing – the first defendant in the country to do so.
CCTV evidence showed Usher donning a mask and wearing a Union flag, encouraging others to participate in violence and throwing missiles at police from close range.
Judge Tim Gittins took into account that Usher, who has learning difficulties, made full admissions to police and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.
After he pleaded guilty earlier this month, Christopher Atkinson, head of the complex casework unit for the Crown Prosecution Service North East, said: “It is clear from the evidence in this case that Usher played an active role in the mob violence that unfolded on the streets of Sunderland.”
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