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First five protesters sentenced to prison terms for their part in ‘kill the bill’ riot
Prison sentences of up to three years and 11 months have been handed to protesters who took part in Bristol’s ‘kill the bill’ riot.
Four men who pleaded guilty to the offence of riot were sentenced on Friday, while a fifth person was also sentenced for outraging public decency after urinating on police officers during the violent events of March 21.
Bristol Crown Court heard that some officers “thought they would die” as rioters gathered outside Bridewell police station.
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The first five people sentenced for their role in the ‘kill the bill’ riot are:
- Kane Adamson, 21, of Lockleaze threw items including road signs and a Voi e-scooter at police, and also punched and kicked their shields. He was jailed for three years and six months.
- Brandon Lloyd, 21, of Henbury, pushed and kicked officers’ shields, kicked an officer, and threw items at and kicked the windows of Bridewell police station damaging the glass. Jailed for three years and 11 months.
- Kain Simmonds, 18, from Birmingham, sprayed an aerosol in the direction of an officer’s face, kicked riot shields, kicked the window of the police station and repeatedly struck a police van with a baton. Sentenced to three years and three months at a young offenders institution.
- Stuart Quinn, 46, of St Paul’s, threw items at the police station and caused damage to a police van. Jailed for three years and three months.
- Yasmin Schneider, 25, from St Paul’s, urinated at the feet of one officer and exposed themselves in front of a number of others. They were jailed for five months.
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Judge James Patrick said: “There were many officers injured and many officers, and their families, who have been greatly affected by the incident.
“Some officers thought they would die and some officers could not even speak about it to their families.
“Officers were struck, spat on, kicked and punched some whilst defenceless on the ground. It was fortunate some were not more seriously hurt. This lasted from the evening to the very early hours.
“They are all public servants and are all human beings. What you did was to dehumanise them.”
Chief superintendent Carolyn Belafonte, head of investigations at Avon & Somerset Police, said that the events of March 21 were “nothing short of reprehensible”.
She said: “The sustained violence, the likes of which we have not seen in this city or even the country for many years, had absolutely nothing to do with any protest.
“Dozens of people came together and acted as a mob to attack and injure police officers, set fire to police vehicles and damage a neighbourhood police station.
“Kane Adamson, Brandon Lloyd, Kain Simmonds and Stuart Quinn have admitted what they did and taken responsibility for the fear and damage they caused.
“Likewise, Yasmin Schneider, who while not involved in any violence still acted repulsively, has accepted what they did was wrong.
“I imagine all five may not have realised they were throwing part of their lives away and damaging their futures when they engaged in such behaviour and I hope the sentences they’ve received serve as a strong reminder that wanton violence will not be tolerated.”
According to Belafonte, 44 police officers “were assaulted by a mob who laid siege on their place of work”.
She said that damage to the Bridewell police station and to police vehicles have cost £212,000.
To date, 75 people have been arrested in connection with the violence and 29 people – including the five sentenced on Friday – have been charged.
Main photos: Avon & Somerset Police. Top row (l-r): Brandon Lloyd, Kain Simmonds and Kane Adamson. Bottom row: Stuart Quinn and Yasmin Schneider.
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