Riots broke out at the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers Way, Rotherham on the afternoon of August 4, 2024, after around 750 anti-immigration protesters arrived at the hotel, where asylum seekers were being housed.
The riots formed part of more than a dozen protests held across the country, many of which turned violent. The protests were fuelled by misinformation and followed a shocking knife attack in Southport, Merseyside, in which three young girls were killed.
Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, condemned the actions of those involved in the Rotherham riots. She said: “The criminal, violent attack on a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham is utterly appalling.”
“Deliberately setting fire to a building with people known to be inside.”
“South Yorkshire police have full government support for the strongest action against those responsible.”
South Yorkshire Police confirmed that around 51 officers were injured in violent skirmishes, during which protesters are alleged to have thrown ‘items such as bricks, fence posts, branches and other missiles’ at them.
Sheffield’s courts have heard details of rioters, one of whom rocked a police van - leaving an officer fearing for his life, with another shooting a flaming arrow towards police, and a third having hurled missiles at officers.
18-year-old Kenzie Roughley became the first of the rioters to be jailed, during a Sheffield Crown Court hearing held on Friday, August 9 - just five days after the disorder took place.
Sending him to begin a sentence of two years, four months, The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, told him: "There was major civil disorder in the Manvers area of Rotherham. It was part of wider, national civil unrest.
“It was fostered by some form of malignancy in society spread by malevolent users of social media. The disorder was racist in character and extremely frightening for anyone who was there. It was perpetrated by an ignorant mob, of which you were a part."
“You were part of a group desirous of provoking police officers and spreading hate. It was an incident of major public disorder which has badly damaged the reputation of Rotherham and South Yorkshire. It would have – and doubtless did – terrify the ordinary decent citizens of that town.” South Yorkshire Police confirmed today (August 28) that a total of 66 people have now been charged in connection with the disorder, 52 of whom have been convicted after entering guilty pleas.
More rioters are expected to be charged and sentenced in the coming days and weeks.
The force says it is continuing to ‘come after those involved’, warning that rioters still at large ‘will be arrested...will be put in front of a judge and will be punished’.
13. Elliot Wragg: Jailed for two years, four months for violent disorder
Elliot Wragg, aged 23, pleaded guilty to one count of violent disorder on August 12, 2024. Detailing Wragg's conduct, a South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: "Wragg was clearly in denial, answering 'no comment' when he was questioned by officers about his involvement in the violent mass disorder. "However, an overwhelming about of evidence placed Wragg at the scene of this disgusting display of disorder and brutality, with social media videos showing Wragg throwing items at officers, forcing him to plead guilty." Wragg, of Assembly Way, Barnsley, has been sentenced to two years and four months. Upon sentencing, Judge Richardson said: “You were a participant of this mob of violent and ignorant individuals. Your conduct was vile towards police officers.” | SYP
14. Dylan White: Jailed for two years for violent disorder
Sheffield Crown Court heard how 48-year-old Dylan White owns a scaffolding business, which employs 14 people. In a statement read to the court, his business partner said it may now fold without White’s ‘direct input,’ without which it would be ‘very difficult to keep it running’ The court was told that White’s participation in the disorder was as part of a group who rocked a police dog van and tried to prevent it from escaping the escalating incident. Judge Richardson acknowledged that White’s involvement was ‘relatively limited’ - simply extending to seconds of rocking the van - and came towards the end of the incident. White, of The Farmstead, Bolton Upon Dearne, pleaded guilty to one count of violent disorder on Tuesday (August 13, 2024). Defending, Emma Coverley described White’s conduct as ‘four seconds of madness’. She described how while White had a chequered criminal past, he has since turned his life around, and now earns a good living through his successful business. He also has a wife, with whom he shares twin 16-year-old daughters, the court heard. Ms Coverley described White’s wife as being heavily reliant upon him, and said he also played an active role in his daughter’s showjumping hobby, as part of which he often takes her to various events across the country. Noting that White’s wife was ‘sobbing her eyes out’ from the public gallery, Judge Richardson told him he should be ‘comprehensively ashamed’ of himself for the ‘anguish’ he has caused to his family and those involved with his business. “I’ve no idea why someone such as you decided to participate in this, but you did, and you must be punished,” Judge Richardson. White, attending via video link from HMP Lincoln, sobbed as Judge Richardson sentenced him to two years’ custody and told him it could not be suspended. | SYP
15. Michael Shaw: Pleaded guilty to violent disorder
Michael Shaw, aged 26, of Pagnell Avenue, Thurnscoe, pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on 14 August. He will appear before Sheffield Crown Court on Monday 19 August for sentencing. | SYP
16. Luke Sissons: Jailed for three years for violent disorder
Two brothers who were at the front of a mob attacking police officers guarding a hotel housing more than 200 asylum seekers have each been jailed for three years. Luke and Paul Sissons were involved a range of violent incidents outside the Holiday Inn Express, in Manvers, Rotherham , on August 4 , including an attack on a police dog van and violent confrontations with riot officers, Sheffield Crown Court heard on Friday. Paul Sissons - who is a tunnelling team leader on the HS2 project - was filmed over a period of nearly four hours, first in a mob shouting at police and chanting " Tommy Robinson ", a judge was told. Sissons, 37, of Two Gates Way, Barnsley , was then captured as part of a group that violently rocked a police van with officers and a dog inside, and was later seen throwing missiles at a group of cornered officers. Body-worn camera footage from an officer holding a riot shield was also shown to the court of Sissons angrily kicking and pushing at the police line as they tried to push the crowd back. His brother Luke Sissons , 34, of The Green View, Shafton, Barnsley , was also part of the mob rocking the van, and footage was shown of him at the front of group goading officers with riot shields who were pinned against the hotel wall. Video was also shown to the court of Luke Sissons talking to a police officer before the main violence began. He tells the officer he is a "wanker" and then asks him: "Why do you run away from immigrants, but when we do anything you f****** cosh us?" Sissons also tells the officer: "I f****** hate police officers. You're grasses," and: "I f****** hate immigrants." Dermot Hughes , defending both brothers, pointed out that they were both hanging their heads in shame on the videolink as the footage was shown to the judge. He said they are both "thoroughly ashamed of their parts in this". Mr Hughes said Paul Sissons , who shouted that he was not a racist on the prison videolink during the hearing, had had a well-paid job which was now in jeopardy, stressing that he was very well thought-of by his employers. The Sissons brothers are the latest of more than 20 men who have now been jailed at Sheffield Crown Court by Judge Jeremy Richardson KC following the Manvers disorder, which saw 58 police officers, three police dogs and a police horse injured, and involved rioters breaking into the hotel and trying to set the building alight. Judge Richardson said to the brothers: "You were right at the front of the mob attacking those police officers." Referring to the footage of the small group of officers coming under attack against the wall of the hotel, he said: "It never ceases to frighten me, and I have the advantage of watching it days after the event in the security of this court room. "It was a frightening incident and the young officers who were on that cordon must have been terrified by that mob." Both men pleaded guilty to violent disorder at a previous hearing. | SYP