Abuse hurled at judge as first group of rioters sentenced for Ely disorder

Angry scenes broke out in court as five rioters were sentenced for violence in Cardiff three years ago.

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died on May 22, 2023, after their e-bike crashed in the Ely area of Cardiff, sparking hours of violence and vandalism with about 150 people turning up to riot.

On Wednesday, Ashdon O'Dare, Lee Robinson, Michaela Gonzales, Jordan Bratcher and Tyler Stapleton, were sentenced to serve up to 40% of their terms in custody, with the remainder in the community.

After the first sentence was delivered, members of the public gallery started shouting, causing disruption in court.

Warning: This story contains offensive language

O'Dare, 28, from Ely, who was sentenced to six years and six months, was described as an "instigator" who "whipped up" the crowd in the early stage of the riots.

Robinson, 40, from Caerau, was sentenced to six years and six months. He was aggressive and repeatedly shouted abuse at police officers on the night of the disorder.

Gonzales, 37, from Ely, was sentenced to five years and two months. The court heard she was "vocal and confrontational" and threw a bottle at police in the early stages of the riot.

Bratcher, 27, from Ely, was sentenced to five years and six months for being "part of the initial group who were throwing missiles at police".

Stapleton, 26, from Ely, was sentenced to four years and four months - he was one of the people who were aggressive towards police and threw stones.

After the first defendant, O'Dare was sentenced and taken into the dock, people in the public gallery shouted "love you Ash" and gave thumbs up and shouts of support.

When Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke asked them to be quiet, one man in the public gallery appeared to make an offensive, two-fingered gesture at her and another shouted "shut up, you slut" at the judge.

Tracey Lloyd-Clarke asked for the two men to be detained on suspicion of contempt of court.

During the sentencing, footage which had been played to the jury during the two trials was again shown in court.

It showed a clear timeline of how tensions escalated and the initial bodycam footage which included many people looking upset and bewildered in the moments after the boys crashed.

However, rumours started that police had been chasing the boys before they crashed and, by 19:55, a masked man threw a bottle at officers.

By 20:30, the decision was made to adopt the "show of strength" stance, with officers raising their batons above their heads and driving people up the road - it was a clear turning point.

People fell, some were hit by police batons, and the abuse of police could be heard with insults including "I hope your kids die" being shouted at officers, the court was told.

The hours that followed showed some of the worst rioting Cardiff had seen for decades, with anything available used to throw at officers, including a burning mattress, a toilet, tiles, paint tins, bricks and bottles.

One of the most dramatic pieces of bodycam footage showed a petrol bomb hitting and setting PC Zoe Lea on fire.

The court heard she was "petrified" as she felt the heat of her overalls burning.

"I knew if I tried to tackle it, I would be vulnerable," she added.

PC Ben Davies, who was one of the first officers deployed to the scene, told the court he "genuinely believed we would be overwhelmed and killed" that night.

The court heard the operation to police the riots had cost South Wales Police "in excess of £1m" and the clean-up had cost Cardiff council £28,515.

Ten teenagers have previously been sentenced for their parts in the unrest, with all given a referral order - a kind of community sentence.

The sentencing continues, with a total of 30 people due to be sentenced over the next few days.