A TRIAL has begun at Newport Crown Court over the Ely riot in Cardiff, which followed the deaths of two teenagers in May 2023.
Prosecutors told the jury that police officers were pelted with bricks, bottles and fireworks, with one female officer engulfed in flames after a petrol bomb was thrown.
The violence erupted on May 22, 2023, hours after 16-year-old Kyrees Sullivan and 15-year-old Harvey Evans were killed when their Sur-Ron e-bike crashed on Snowden Road. Rumours spread quickly that a police van had been chasing the pair. Although CCTV showed a van following them earlier, investigators later found it was half a mile away at the time of the fatal crash.
Defendants in the dock
Eight people deny taking part in the riot: Lee Robinson, 38, of Heol Deva, Caerau; Luke Williams, 31, of Deere Place, Ely; Jaydan Baston, 21, of Heol Poyston, Caerau; Michaela Gonzales, 37, of Plymouth Wood Close, Ely; McKenzie Danks, 22, of Heol Trelai, Caerau; Jordan Bratcher, 27, of Glyndwr Road, Ely; Zayne Farrugia, 25, of Heol Ebwy, Caerau; and Connor O’Sullivan, 26, of Caerau Court Road, Caerau.
Opening the case, prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said: “A fire was set and fireworks thrown, cars trashed, overturned and set alight. A petrol bomb was thrown at a police officer and covered her in flames. It was carnage for several hours.”
Violence caught on camera
The jury was shown footage from body-worn cameras, drones and videos uploaded by members of the public. Cobbe said the evidence demonstrated the different roles played by the defendants, from throwing missiles to encouraging others.
Williams, the court heard, live-streamed the riot for more than an hour, telling viewers thousands were watching. He allegedly celebrated when an officer was injured, suggesting she should be “euthanised”.
Robinson, described as a “focal point” of the disorder, was filmed shouting at police officers and accusing them of being “the biggest organised crime group”. Others were seen throwing stones, glass bottles, or even footwear at officers.
Community impact
The court was told that several officers were injured and that residents’ cars, gardens and homes were damaged.
Cobbe told jurors: “It’s important to say the whole community didn’t support or condone this extraordinary violence. Many were bewildered and frightened, sheltering in their homes as mayhem unfolded in the street outside.”
The trial continues.
