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’.
29. Luke Merritt: Jailed for two years, eight months for violent disorder
A 27-year-old man, who involved himself in four separate parts of the disorder outside the Rotherham hotel housing asylum seekers, ‘endeavoured to camouflage his identity’ and prevent justice from being done, a Sheffield judge has said. The court heard how Lewis Merritt, who was dressed all in light blue, wore a balaclava for much of his involvement in the Rotherham riots, but was still identified by police. “You were masked. That was an endeavour to camouflage your identity so police would not be able to arrest you and bring you to justice in this court,” Judge Richardson said. Prosecutor, Joseph Bell, said Merritt’s criminal behaviour began when he ‘grabbed hold’ of a police officer who was already on the ground, after being knocked down by others. Merritt denied being one of the individuals to knock her to the ground when he entered a guilty plea to the offence of assault of an emergency worker during a Sheffield Magistrates’ Court hearing on August 16. He also entered a guilty plea to a second offence of violent disorder during the same hearing. The second part of Merritt’s involvement, while he was still masked, related to what Judge Richardson described as an ‘attack’ upon a police dog van as it attempted to escape the disorder. “You were part of a group throwing missiles at police officers who were trying to keep law and order,” Judge Richardson said, detailing the third part of Merritt’s involvement. He continued: “When the hotel was eventually breached, windows were smashed, individuals go inside. You were well to the fore…it was a terrifying episode, it was a racist episode, it was truly shocking from first to last.” Mr Bell told the court that Merritt, of Victoria Road, Balby, Doncaster, has 24 offences from 13 convictions on his record - the majority of which are for driving matters, including dangerous driving and was on licence from a 25-month sentence for the offence of burglary when he participated in the Rotherham disorder. Defending, Dermot Hughes said there was no ‘getting away’ from the seriousness of Merritt’s offending, adding that Merritt is ‘ashamed of himself’. Mr Hughes said that prior to the disorder, Merritt had found work as a ‘chicken catcher of all things,’ and while Merritt knows he must stay where he is in custody, the work has been gained through a personal connection and he is ‘hopeful’ he may be able to return to it when he is released from custody. Judge Richardson sentenced Merritt to two years, eight months in custody, and made him the subject of a 10-year community order. “You were one of those well to the fore in those four separate incidents that afternoon…it was shameful, it was disgusting and it must be punished,” Judge Richardson told Merritt. | SYP
30. Thomas Birley: Pleaded guilty to violent disorder, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and attempted arson with intent to endanger life
Thomas Birley, 27, of Rowms Lane, Swinton, Rotherham, has pleaded guilty to violent disorder, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and attempted arson with intent to endanger life at Sheffield Crown Court on 21 August. He is due to be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on 6 September. | SYP
31. Cameron Callear: Pleaded guilty to violent disorder
Cameron Callear, 30, of Orchard Way, Thurnscoe, has pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on 21 August. He is due to be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on August 23 | SYP
32. Morgan Hardy: Pleaded guilty to violent disorder
Morgan Hardy, aged 29, of Melton High Street, Rotherham, has pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Sheffield Crown Court on 21 August. He is due to be sentenced at the same court on 28 August. | SYP