WATCH: Moment police arrest man hiding in attic over Rotherham riots
27-year-old Lewis Merritt from Mexborough threw planks of wood and chairs at officers outside a hotel housing asylum seekers
A man has been jailed for his part in a riot outside a hotel in Rotherham after hiding from police in an attic.
Lewis Merrit, 27, threw chairs and planks of wood at police protecting asylum seekers staying at the hotel in Manvers on August 4th.
He was tracked down to an address in Mexborough, where he hid in an attic, before officers dragged him out and arrested him.
Merritt, of Victoria Road, Balby, was captured on video loitering around the area where the disorder took place before he actively became involved in the ugly scenes.
He turned violent towards our officers by firing missiles at them, kicking a police van and removing barriers put in place to control crowds.
He initially gave a no comment police interview but was left with no choice but to admit "yeah, I've thrown bits of wood and that" when he was presented with numerous pieces of evidence which placed him at the scene of the violence.
Merritt pleaded guilty to one count of violent disorder and one count of assault by beating an emergency worker when he appeared at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on 16 August.
He was sentenced yesterday (Wednesday 21 August) to two years and eight months in prison during a sentencing hearing at Sheffield Crown Court.
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