Town rioter is locked up for disorder

A yob who threw bricks and missiles at the police during the West Bromwich riots has been locked up for 30 months. Darren Carswell, aged 19, was sentenced after he admitted being involved in the disorder.

He was part of a gang of yobs who ripped down a brick wall, set alight bins and a van in West Bromwich High Street, on August 9 last year, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard yesterday.

The court was shown CCTV footage which showed Carswell running riot.

Miss Amy Jacobs prosecuting, told the court the disturbance was part of the riots which swept the nation in August 2011. Carswell was part of a gang of around 30 people who took part in the disturbances in the town on that afternoon.

She showed the court CCTV from the time which showed Carswell shouting at police officers, throwing bricks and pulling bins into the road to be set alight.

She said: "The defendant can clearly be seen at the centre of this disorder."

The court heard Carswell was identified through the CCTV, and was arrested on December 15.

She said: "He fully admitted what he had done, and said he did it because he wanted to get involved."

The court heard that at the time of the riots he was subject to a youth rehabilitation order, after being convicted of being in possession of an offensive weapon in July 2010.

Miss Jacobs said the damage to the wall cost £2,000, the cost of the damage to the van was unknown.

Carswell of Young Street, West Bromwich had previously pleaded guilty to the charge of violent disorder.

Judge John Warner sentenced him to 30 months in a young offenders institution.