Young mother spared jailed after bringing baby to violent riot outside asylum seeker hotel in Manchester
A young mother who brought her 20-month-old son in a pram to a violent asylum hotel riot has been spared jail.
Nevey Smith, 21, from Oldham, attended the riot outside the Holiday Inn in Newton Heath, Manchester, on July 31, where she was seen throwing water at police officers attempting to maintain order.
Smith, who admitted to a violent disorder last month, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Monday (September 23). Judge Patrick Field KC, addressing Smith in court, said: “You chose to join (the disorder) notwithstanding that you had your 20-month-old child in a pushchair. What on earth were you thinking? I doubt you had his safety in mind.”
Despite the severity of her involvement, the judge opted not to impose a jail sentence. Instead, Smith was handed a community order, requiring her to attend reviews at a women’s problem-solving court and complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
In a separate case, three teenage boys - two aged 15 and one aged 17 - were sentenced for their involvement in a violent disorder in Plymouth on August 5. The unrest followed a protest after the deaths of three children in Southport. The teenagers, who cannot be named due to their age, appeared before Plymouth Youth Court on Monday after admitting to charges of violent disorder.
District Judge Stuart Smith condemned their actions, stressing the national civil unrest that was "fueled by misinformation and anti-immigration sentiment." He added: "The disorder was extremely frightening for anyone who was there."
One of the 15-year-old boys, who threw a brick that struck a police officer’s riot shield, was handed in to the police by his father. The father, attending court with his son, told the judge: “I just want him to grow up to be a decent human being.”
All three teenage defendants were given 12-month referral orders, along with orders to pay £85 in court costs and a £26 surcharge each.