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Summary

  • A number of people are due in court in Sheffield charged in connection with the disorder which broke out in Rotherham on 4 August

  • The Holiday Inn Express hotel in Manvers, which housed asylum seekers at the time, was the centre of large-scale violence

  • Hearings today including pleas and sentencing and are due to take place at both the magistrates and crown court in the city

  1. End of today's hearingspublished at 15:59 British Summer Time 18 September

    That concludes today's hearings connected with the disorder on 4 August.

    There are further plea hearings and sentencings due to occur over the next few weeks.

  2. 'Incredibly disappointing' says sentencing judgepublished at 15:40 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Crown Court

    Lee Marshall, 39, of Princess Street in Barnsley, has been jailed for two years and two months for his role in the violent disorder.

    A sentence of two months for the assault of an emergency worker will run alongside it.

    Lee MarshallImage source, South Yorkshire Police

    "I accept your involvement is limited," the judge says.

    "The sensible thing to do when you realised matters were becoming violent was to leave the area."

    Referencing his time in the Army, the judge adds: "It is incredibly disappointing to see you involved in this violent disorder."

  3. Judge begins her sentencepublished at 15:36 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Crown Court

    The judge, Her Honour Judge Sarah Wright, has begun her sentencing of Marshall.

    "You were told to retreat, you did not do so," the judge tells Marshall.

    She says his previous convictions were "highly relevant", relating to violence.

    "You participated in an incident which involved widespread acts of violence and disorder."

  4. 'Upset' Marshall broke foot during riotpublished at 15:36 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Crown Court

    During the violence and as he pushed past the shields, Marshall broke his foot when a police officer brought "down a riot shield" onto him, the court is told.

    While he "makes no complaint about that", he hobbled into the dock.

    "He is upset to find himself before the court," Mr Aspinall says.

    "It is very easy, he says with hindsight, and say he wishes he never attended on the 4 August."

    Speaking on behalf of his client, he adds Marshall wants it to be clear he was not violent towards officers.

  5. Defendant is soldier-turned-bus driverpublished at 15:20 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Crown Court

    Marshall's barrister, Chris Aspinall, has been speaking to the judge about his client's involvement in the violent disorder.

    Marshall has pleaded guilty in the magistrates' court to violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker.

    His role was limited during the violent disorder, Mr Aspinall outlines.

    We hear how Marshall is a bus driver with Stagecoach in Barnsley, and before then was in the British Army between 2001 and 2005, taking in active tours of Iraq.

  6. Defendant wanted to retrieve phone, court hearspublished at 15:14 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Crown Court

    Police officers in riot gear with dogs on leashes surrounded by broken fence panels

    Marshall was at the scene for three or four hours, his defence barrister says.

    He spent his time filming the rioters and is "emphatic" in saying he did not take part in any violence or chanting.

    He dropped his mobile phone when he was hit by the shields of the police officers.

    "The officers have said 'no, get back, get back'. He's not done so, gone forward and pushed through the line of officers."

    As soon as he has his phone, he retreated, his defence barrister adds.

  7. Marshall has relevant previous convictionspublished at 15:09 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Crown Court

    The court is told that Marshall, who is 39, has relevant previous convictions.

    In total, he has eight convictions on his record.

    Relevant incidents include a public order offence in 2009 for which he received a fine.

    He also punched his neighbour in the head during an incident in December 2023, the court is told.

  8. Video played to the courtpublished at 15:08 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Crown Court

    Video is now being played to the court showing Marshall, wearing a white T-shirt and a black rucksack, being pushed by the shields of officers.

    The incident happens at the side of the hotel, which at the time was housing more than 200 asylum seekers.

    A fire alarm is heard in the background of the video.

    Marshall seems to retrieve an item from the ground and he holds it aloft to cheers from the crowd.

  9. Police were 'worried for their safety' says officerpublished at 14:59 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Crown Court

    Line of police in riot gear with helmets and shields, with smoke drifting across and a series of upturned plastic barriersImage source, Christopher Furlong/Getty

    The officer in the case who was assaulted indicates that she was on duty that day, working a 12-hour shift starting at 11:00 BST.

    The court is told how she felt "worried and concerned about my safety", as the people in the crowd were "intent in harming officers in the line of duty".

    Heavy missiles were thrown towards them during the day, with officers being pulled to the ground, she says.

    The behaviour was "deplorable", she adds.

  10. Police officer knocked to the groundpublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Crown Court

    Marshall is initially seen verbally abusing police officers and then is said to have barged into the police constable.

    A mobile phone belonging to Marshall is heard to be dropped, and he tries to retrieve it.

    Him and the people he is with "effectively attack" the line of officers, Mr Coxon says.

    PC Evans falls to the ground and is kicked out at, the court is told.

  11. Lee Marshall brought into courtpublished at 14:51 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Crown Court

    Lee Marshall, who has previously admitted violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker, has been brought into court.

    Neil Coxon, the prosecuting barrister, is outlining the Crown's case.

    Marshall's involvement focuses around the violent disorder outside the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham on 4 August.

    He is seen on CCTV and body-worn footage assaulting police officer Georgia Evans, the court hears.

  12. Court to reconvenepublished at 14:17 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Crown Court

    Courtroom seven is slowly starting to fill up as we prepare to hear more cases this afternoon.

    I've left the city's magistrates court and am now in the city's crown court.

    There are hearings taking place here in front of Judge Wright that relate to the Rotherham violence, but also a number of other unconnected cases.

    We will be under way shortly.

  13. Hearings will continue this afternoonpublished at 12:45 British Summer Time 18 September

    Victoria Scheer
    at Sheffield Crown Court

    Sheffield Crown Court hearings relating to the unrest in Manvers will resume this afternoon.

    Lee Marshall, 39 and of Princess Street, Barnsley, is one of the defendants due to appear before Judge Wright.

    Marshall pleaded guilty to violent disorder and assault of an emergency worker at a hearing last month.

  14. Boy sentenced for his part in violencepublished at 12:32 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Magistrates' Court

    District Judge Spruce says the boy must complete a 24-month youth rehabilitation order.

    He is also placed under a curfew for six months.

    The first three months will mean the youngster must be at home between 19:00 and 07:00 with the last three months between 20:00 and 07:00.

  15. Boy 'let parents down' by taking partpublished at 12:28 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Magistrates' Court

    Custody is not the correct outcome, the judge tells the boy.

    "Today, you have the opportunity to take a different path.

    "You let your parents down, and you let your community down. You have the opportunity to make a difference. Make different choices," the judge adds.

  16. Young defendant should be 'ashamed'published at 12:26 British Summer Time 18 September

    "The principle aim of the youth justice system is to prevent offending and the welfare of the child is paramount," the court is told by the judge.

    The youth offending team are thanked for their report about the boy, which goes some way to explain why he may have behaved in certain ways.

    "You didn't understand exactly what was going on, and what you were caught up in", the judge says, following the production of the report.

    He adds that he should be ashamed of his behaviour.

  17. Violence at Manvers was 'shameful' says judgepublished at 12:26 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Magistrates' Court

    "It was shameful public disorder [and] you were part of that mob," District Judge Spruce tells the teenager.

    "You were witnessed to be waving around a piece of wood in a threatening manner."

    The boy pleaded guilty to violent disorder at the first opportunity, the court is told.

  18. Judge returns to pass sentencepublished at 12:10 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Magistrates' Court

    The judge has returned into the courtroom at the Youth Court.

    The 17-year-old defendant, who we are unable to name or identify, is being brought back in for sentencing.

  19. Lack of prison transport delays casespublished at 11:58 British Summer Time 18 September

    Victoria Scheer
    at Sheffield Crown Court

    Ricky CottonImage source, South Yorkshire Police
    Image caption,

    Ricky Cotton

    Two sentencing hearings due to take place at Sheffield Crown Court today have been adjourned.

    Joshua Lane and Ricky Cotton (pictured above) are both currently at HMP Hull, having pleaded guilty to violent disorder at an earlier hearing.

    The defendants were both set to be produced at crown court today but no transport was available, the court hears.

    They will now be sentenced on 3 October.

  20. Judge retires to consider sentencepublished at 11:54 British Summer Time 18 September

    Oli Constable
    at Sheffield Magistrates' Court

    District Judge Spruce has retired to consider his verdict in the case of the teenager at the Youth Court who has admitted his role in disorder on 4 August.