A total of 10 people were sentenced on Thursday for their involvement in the Ely riots, with combined prison terms exceeding 30 years. At Cardiff Crown Court, the defendants learned their fates for the disorder that erupted in the Cardiff suburb following the deaths of Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, in an ebike collision on May 22, 2023.
Large crowds from the close-knit community gathered after the collision, leading to hours of rioting that injured 31 police officers and one civilian. Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke presided over the sentencing.
Sentences Handed Down
- Jamie Jones: Five years and two months imprisonment. He entered a garden to collect stones used as missiles and threw a food waste bin.
- Zayne Farrugia: Six years imprisonment. He confronted police, collected stones, and threw them at officers.
- Jordan Webster: Five years and seven months imprisonment. He shouted for a car to run over police, kicked an officer, and threw missiles.
- Jayden Westcott: Five years and two months imprisonment. He was verbally abusive, threw debris, and claimed police had killed his mates.
- Jumana Fouad: 24-month community order. She celebrated police injuries, helped burn a bed, and threw a missile at a police shield.
- Lianna Tucker: 24-month community order. She struck an officer's hand, shouted aggressively, and threw missiles including broken plasterboard.
- James Chappell: Four years and four months imprisonment. He said he hoped cops got hurt and threw missiles in quick succession.
- Jasmine Smith: 24-month community order. She told a police officer, 'If you want to kill another kid, I’m here,' and threw two missiles. Smith, cousin of Harvey Evans, wept after avoiding custody due to pregnancy and being sole carer for her baby.
- Jamie Bateman: Five years and nine months imprisonment. He smashed a paving slab into pieces used as missiles and threw two at officers. After sentencing, clapping and shouts from the public gallery were met with a warning from the judge.
- Liam Williams: Four years and three months imprisonment. He handed out aerosol cans to accelerate fires and light a car.
Judge Lloyd-Clarke referenced the deaths of Kyrees and Harvey and the impact on injured police officers. The sentencing hearing continues on Friday with 10 more defendants.
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