Gasps and tears in court as six more sentenced over Ely riots

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David Grundy,Cardiff Crown Courtand

Anna Lewis,BBC Wales

Six more people have been sentenced for their parts in a riot which broke out in Cardiff following the deaths of two teenagers.

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died in May 2023 after their e-bike crashed in Ely, sparking hours of violence and vandalism which saw about 150 people turn up.

On Thursday tears and gasps broke out in court as the second lot of defendants appeared in the dock, with Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke telling members of the public to listen "in silence" and "step outside now" if they felt they could not control themselves.

All six defendants appearing on Thursday morning were each sentenced for rioting.

There were gasps in the public gallery as Zayne Farrugia, 26, from Caerau, was handed a sentence of six years.

He was one of the first to enter a garden to pick up stones and threw six missiles at police after he joined the line confronting officers.

Jordan Webster, 30, from Ely, was sentenced to five years and seven months.

He was also seen throwing stones at police and pushed a shopping trolley into the road which others had filled with debris to throw at officers.

When a Black Audi was moved into the road to block the police, the court heard he said: "Run them all over."

The court heard Jamie Jones, 25, from Llanrumney, arrived late to the scene but was one of several people who went into a garden to gather items to throw at police

Jones, who was sentenced to five years and two months, threw three missiles in quick succession before collecting a food waste bin which he threw at police officers.

During the sentencing hearing, Jayden Westcott, 21, from Ely, also received a sentence of five years two months.

When he was arrested, he said: "A fed [police officer] is dying tonight".

Westcott threw missiles at police, filmed officers and was verbally abusive towards them.

He also urged the crowd to join him as he pushed the shopping trolley full of rubble towards police.

Lianna Tucker, 20, from Ely, broke down in tears in court as she avoided a custodial sentence.

She was hugged by a tearful member of the public gallery as she walked out of the dock, after being handed a 24-month community order with a requirement to complete 25 days of rehabilitation activities.

Tucker, who was 17 at the time of the offence, was at the front of the crowd throwing missiles, including broken up plasterboard, at police officers.

She remained at the scene until midnight, but said in her arrest she had been told that "police had killed the boys", and attributed her actions to anger over the deaths of the teenagers.

Jumana Fouad, 19, from Ely, also received a 24-month community order and must complete 15 days of rehabilitation.

Fouad, who was 16 at the time of the offence, threw several rocks, one of which hit a police officer's shield.

She was also seen adding some liquid to an already-burning mattress, and when an injured officer needed help, she was seen celebrating.

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 - 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.

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