Teenagers sentenced for violent disorder during Plymouth riots
A father of one of the boys said he wanted him to grow up as 'a decent human being'
Three teenage boys, two aged 15 and one 17-year-old, have been handed 12-month referral orders for violent disorder in Plymouth.
The defendants, who cannot be named due to their age, previously admitted a charge of violent disorder each and appeared before Plymouth Youth Court to be sentenced on Monday.
District Judge Stuart Smith was told the boys had taken part in unrest in Plymouth on August 5, when a protest took place following the deaths of three children in Southport. The judge told the court: "This was obviously part of a much wider picture of national civil unrest fuelled by misinformation and anti-immigration sentiment.
"The disorder was extremely frighting for anyone who was there."
One 15-year-old boy, who threw a brick that hit the riot shield of a police officer, was handed in to the police station by his father who also attended the court.
The boy's father told the judge that his son needed to be punished for his actions that night, adding: "I just want him to grow up to be a decent human being."
Each of the youth defendants was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £26 surcharge in addition to their referral order.