12-year-old boy charged with involvement in UK riots

The boy, whose name has not been released because of his age, has been accused of taking part in the violent disorder in Merseyside on July 30, Sky News reported.

The Southport boy will appear at Merseyside Youth Court, along with Harvey Gabbott, 21, of Tarleton, and Paul Dryhurst, 33, of Litherland, who will appear at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court.

According to Index.hr, 30 people have so far been charged in connection with the disturbances in Southport and Liverpool.

Another boy pleaded guilty

Another boy, 12, pleaded guilty to two counts of violence at Manchester Magistrates’ Court. He was accused of attacking a bus and throwing rocks at another young man during a riot outside a Holiday Inn hotel where asylum seekers were staying on July 31.

On August 3, police recorded him smashing the window of an e-cigarette shop with his feet and throwing objects at a police car.

Judge Joanne Hurst said the case was “extremely serious”. The boy’s lawyer, Natasha McGarr, said she was “deeply sorry” and “extremely embarrassed” by the boy’s behaviour.

As of Sunday, British police had arrested 927 people and charged 466 of them. A spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the government would not stop until the work was done.

“This work can only be done when people feel safe in their communities,” he said.

Mayor: 90% of the losses are caused by young people seeking excitement

Andy Preston, the mayor of Middlesbrough, where the violence took place, said this weekend that “90% of the damage was caused by young white British people seeking excitement and adrenaline… there was no ideological motivation.”

Some defendants have been sentenced to harsh prison terms for, among other things, Facebook posts calling for violence. The reading of the verdicts is often televised because the government believes it will deter citizens from resorting to violence.

Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood said the consequences of a few days of unrest would be felt for months or even years, given that prisons are overcrowded and courts are overburdened since the outbreak.

Daily News