Man jailed for over 2 years for role in Sunderland riots
A man who was seen throwing a paving stone towards police in Sunderland has been jailed
A man who threw a stone at police after getting "carried away" during riots in Sunderland has been jailed for more than two years.
Dean Groenewald, 32, was jailed for 26 months at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday after admitting one count of violent disorder at a previous hearing.
The court heard that Groenewald was filmed throwing the paving stone at Keel Square during a riot that broke out following a protest in Sunderland city centre on August 2.
Claire Anderson, in mitigation, said that while her client threw the missile in the direction of the police, it had gone over their heads.
"My instructions, my lord, are essentially that he got carried away in the moment, and for some inexplicable reason, he picked up that item that was on the floor and he threw it in the general direction of the police," she said.
"You have seen from the footage that he is a short distance away from where the officers were standing. I would submit that it was not aimed specifically at them, landing over their heads, but I accept that it was in their general direction.
"It is purely good fortune that no one was hurt as a result of this mindless action."
Anderson also said, in mitigation, that prison conditions are "exceptionally difficult at the moment".
She said her formerly unemployed client had found work while on remand at HMP Hull.
"In the short time that he has been on remand in Hull he has managed to get a job as a helper on the servery," she said.
"He hopes that he will be able to find alternative employment in custody, depending upon the circumstances and prison he ultimately ends up being sent to.
"Because, obviously, my lord knows the conditions in custody are exceptionally difficult at the moment."