Five jailed for involvement in Bristol riots
Riots followed a Kill The Bill protest in the city back in March
Last updated 30th Jul 2021
Four men have been jailed after admitting their role the riots which followed the Kill the Bill protest in Bristol in March.
Today (July 30) they were sentenced at Bristol Crown Court to a total of 13 years and 11 months behind bars.
Kane Adamson, Brandon Lloyd, Kain Simmonds and Stuart Quinn had previously pleaded guilty to being part of a group which threatened violence towards police officers outside Bridewell Police Station.
A fifth person, Yasmin Schneider, was also jailed after admitting two counts of outraging public decency during the night of the riot on 21 March.
Prior to today’s hearing, His Honour Judge James Patrick viewed evidence which had been gathered by the investigation team.
It included footage from officers’ body worn cameras, CCTV and mobile phone footage.
- Adamson, 21, of Lockleaze, Bristol, threw items including road signs, a road work barrier and an electric scooter at officers while he also threatened officers and repeatedly punched and kicked their shields. Jailed for three years and six months.
- Lloyd, 21, of Henbury, Bristol, pushed and kicked officers’ shields, cornered and assaulted a PC by kicking them, and threw items at and kicked the windows of the Bridewell Police Station, damaging the glass. Jailed for three years and 11 months.
- Simmonds, 18, from Springfield, Birmingham, sprayed an aerosol in the direction of an officer’s face, kicked officers’ shields, kicked the window of the Bridewell and repeatedly struck a police van with an officer’s baton. Sentenced to three years and three months at a young offenders institution.
- Quinn, 46, of St Paul’s, Bristol, incited others to attack police officers, throw items at the Bridewell and cause damage to a police van. Jailed for three years and three months.
- Schneider, 25, from St Paul’s, Bristol, urinated at the feet of one police officer and exposed themselves in front of a number of others. Jailed for five months.
Greatest Hits and SamFM reporter James Diamond was at the scene earlier this year
Judge James Patrick said: "I have read all of the victim personal statements and I found them very moving. There were many officers injured and many officers, and their families, who have been greatly affected by the incident. Some officers thought they would die and some officers could not even speak about it to their families.
"Officers were struck, spat on, kicked and punched some whilst defenceless on the ground. It was fortunate some were not more seriously hurt. This lasted from the evening to the very early hours.
"They (the officers) are all public servants and are all human beings. What you did was to dehumanise them.”
Chief Superintendent Carolyn Belafonte, Head of Investigations, said: “What happened on the night of Sunday 21 March 2021 was nothing short of reprehensible.
“The sustained violence, the likes of which we have not seen in this city or even the country for many years, had absolutely nothing to do with any protest.
“I imagine all five may not have realised they were throwing part of their lives away and damaging their futures when they engaged in such behaviour and I hope the sentences they’ve received serve as a strong reminder that wanton violence will not be tolerated.”