CPS News Brief

Statement on first Crown Court sentences following London disorder

Following the sentencing at Wood Green Crown Court today in relation to the London disorder, David Robinson, London Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor, said:

“Today, two of those responsible for the public disturbances in the capital earlier this month became the first to be sentenced in the Crown Court for their actions. These swift and robust prosecutions should serve as a strong reminder that CPS London will not hesitate to prosecute this sort of criminal behaviour which affects the whole community.

“Across London, opportunists committed very serious acts: looting, robbing and causing significant criminal damage, mostly at night when communities feel at their most vulnerable. At the hearings today we were able to tell the court exactly how these crimes have affected those communities and give an indication of the losses suffered by businesses which were looted.

“CPS London is determined to play its part in ensuring the safety of our communities, and over the coming months we will prosecute many more people in relation to the public disturbances. We will do this as swiftly and effectively as possible and, as is our duty under the Code for Crown Prosecutors, ensure each individual case is dealt with fairly and consistently.

“Prosecutors have worked tirelessly alongside the police to charge those responsible and to bring them before the courts. Those involved in the disorder and crime earlier this month should be in no doubt that we will continue to bring them before the courts where they will answer for their actions.”

Richard Bezzina (born 09/05/1967) was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment at the Crown Court in Wood Green on a count of Violent Disorder on the evening of 8th August 2011 at Clarence Road, Hackney. He pleaded guilty at Thames Magistrates’ Court on 13th August 2011.

Steven Freear (born 17/10/1990) was sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment at the Crown Court in Wood Green today on two counts of possessing an offensive weapon on the evening of Wednesday 10th August 2011 at Hartford Road, Enfield, near the junction of Carterhatch Road. The defendant pleaded guilty at Enfield Magistrates’ Court on Friday 12th August 2011.

CPS statement on convictions of two men for inciting disorder using social media

Martin McRobb, Crown Advocate for CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said:

“Jordan Blackshaw, 21 and Perry Sutcliffe, 22, independently and from the safety of their homes may have thought that it would be acceptable to set up a Facebook page to incite others to take part in disorders in Cheshire.

"They were wrong and were both sentenced today to four years’ imprisonment at Chester Crown Court, after pleading guilty to intentionally encouraging another to assist the commission of an indictable offence under sections 44 and 46 of the Serious Crime Act 2007.

“They both used Facebook to organise and orchestrate serious disorder at a time when such incidents were taking place in other parts of the country. Both defendants, in Northwich and Warrington respectively, sought to gain widespread support in order to replicate similar criminality.

In investigating these cases, the Cheshire Constabulary acted very swiftly and effectively to close down these websites and to ensure that there was no actual participation in the planned events. Nevertheless, these posts caused significant panic and revulsion in local communities as rumours of anticipated violence spread.

“The Crown Prosecution Service worked very closely with the police and Cheshire Crown Court to bring forward preliminary hearing dates that had initially been listed on 19th September. We were able to serve upon the defence in both cases sufficient case material that led to early guilty pleas and we were able to present the facts in both cases in a fair but robust manner.

“While the judge heard the two defendants were previously of good character, they admitted committing very serious offences that carry a maximum sentence of 10 years. The consequence of their actions could have led to more disorder and this was taken into account.”

Additional information

Jordan Blackshaw born 22/08/1990  - On Tuesday 9 August created an event on Facebook called ‘SMASH DWN IN NORTHWICH TOWN.’ The event invitation clearly stated that it was created by Jordan BLACKSHAW and specified a time and date of Tuesday 9th August 1:00pm-4:00pm and gives the location for the event as ‘behind maccies’ (believed to be McDonald's food outlet in Northwich). The invitation also mentioned that it was intended for the receipt of the ‘MOB HILL MASSIVE NORTHWICH LOOTIN.’ Blackshaw then added the first comment ‘WE’LL NEED TO GET ON THIS KICKIN OFF ALL OVER.’

Perry Sutcliffe- Keenan born 23/04/1989 - On Tuesday 9 August 2011, a number of telephone calls were received by police from members of the public who stated that a site had been set up on the social networking site Face Book. The site had been named “WARRINGTON RIOTS”. The members of the public who had called the police were concerned in relation to this site as there had been a number of serious cases of public disorder in London and other cities in the UK. The site invited anyone who wished to be involved in a “riot” on the evening of Wednesday 10th August 2011 between 7pm and 10pm. There was also a photograph of civilians clashing with police officers.

Following these calls to the police, one witness stated that she recognised “Pezz KEENAN” as Perry Keenan Sutcliffe from a photograph which was also posted on the site and that Keenan had been the person who had originally created the site.

CPS statement following sentences in Manchester for looting

Following the sentencing at Manchester Crown Court today of five offenders in connection with the disturbances in Manchester and Salford, Nazir Afzal, Chief Crown Prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service's North West Area said:

 “All right minded people have been shocked and alarmed by what happened on our streets a week ago. The reports and pictures in the media of widespread violence, destruction and looting will remain with us for a long time. For many people living and working in the communities where it happened, the effects of the fear and the damage caused will be deep and long lasting.

“The spirit and resolve of Manchester and Salford people has been remarkable in the response that we have seen since last week. Delivering justice on behalf of communities is an important part of the process of rebuilding and repairing the damage and pain suffered by victims and the community. Prosecutors, working alongside police, have worked tirelessly to charge those responsible and to bring them before the courts, and at the hearings today we have been able to tell the court exactly how these crimes have affected the community as a whole.

“All the offenders sentenced at the crown court this afternoon were involved in the widespread criminality that happened that night. The sight of people looting and stealing, helping themselves to goods from shops simply because that’s what others were doing or because they thought they could get away with it was truly shocking.

“The message today is clear. Stealing, looting, handling stolen property are against the law and there are consequences for those who engage in this criminal behaviour. Today some of these people are starting custodial sentences and paying the price for their dishonesty and their part in the criminality that took place.

“Many others have been charged and their cases are proceeding through the courts and over the coming days, weeks and months if necessary, we will continue to bring before the courts those who were involved in the disorder and crime on that night.”

 

CPS authorises charge of murder over death of Richard Mannington Bowes

The Crown Prosecution Service has this evening authorised the Metropolitan Police Service to charge a 16 year old male with the murder of Richard Mannington Bowes. Mr Bowes died on 11 August 2011 after being assaulted in Ealing, London, on 8 August 2011.

The teenager is also charged with violent disorder and four separate burglaries of commercial premises. His mother is also charged with doing an act that tended to pervert the course of public justice.

Daren Streeter, Head of CPS London Homicide Unit, said:

“The CPS has this evening authorised that a 16 year old male should be charged with the murder of Richard Mannington Bowes.

“At this stage, there is a reasonable suspicion that the 16 year old was responsible for the unlawful killing of Mr Bowes. It is clearly in the public interest that he be prosecuted for this offence.

“As with all prosecutions, we will keep the case against the defendant under review and consider any new evidence provided to us by the police during their ongoing investigation into this incident.”

The 16 year old will appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court tomorrow morning, Tuesday 16 August 2011.

Two charged with three counts of murder following deaths in Winson Green, Birmingham

The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised West Midlands Police to charge two men, Joshua Donald and a youth, with three counts of murder in relation to an incident on 10 August in Winson Green, Birmingham.

Martin Lindop, reviewing lawyer for CPS West Midlands, said:

“I have decided that Joshua Donald and a youth should be charged with murder following the deaths of Haroon Jahan, Shahzad Ali and Abdul Musavir on 10 August. It is alleged that Donald and the youth were involved in the incident that led to these tragic deaths.

“This decision was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. There is sufficient evidence to prosecute the defendants and it is in the public interest to do so.”

The defendants will appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on 14 August 2011.

The police investigation into this incident is continuing.

CPS continues work to deliver justice following public disorder

Crown Prosecution Service staff will continue their hard work over the weekend and in the coming weeks to deal effectively and efficiently with the prosecutions arising from the recent public disorder.

Prosecutors are working very closely with police forces across the country to authorise charges against suspects and prepare the evidence in cases, some of which will be sentenced in the Crown Courts next week following early guilty pleas in the magistrates’ courts.

Dedicated teams will be on duty all weekend to prepare the evidence for sentencing hearings. We expect the sentencing of offenders to begin early next week.

Impact statements are being prepared on how communities and businesses have been affected by the disorder. These statements will complement the evidence against the defendants, such as eye witness accounts and CCTV footage.

Individuals who have admitted the same offence (e.g. burgling the same commercial premises) will be sentenced together as far as possible, allowing the courts to address the full impact of the criminal behaviour when considering the sentence. It also ensures that the sentences are consistent and that the cases are finalised as quickly as possible.

This is standard practice in instances of mass disorder. Groups of football hooligans are often prosecuted and sentenced together as the basis of the criminality is the same for every defendant.

Defendants being sentenced in the Crown Court face up to a maximum of five years’ imprisonment for violent disorder. Those charged with burglary face up to a maximum of 10 years for burgling commercial premises and a maximum of 14 years for burgling residential properties.

The work to charge arrested suspects and those facing arrest is also continuing.

CPS Direct, our out-of-hours charging service, is providing a robust and efficient service throughout the night. On Wednesday and Thursday nights, nearly all calls from police officers to prosecutors were answered very quickly. Already 1,600 people have been arrested and 796 have appeared before the courts. Two thirds (66%) of those charged at this stage have been remanded into immediate custody. We expect many more charges to follow in the coming days.

Magistrates’ courts will be sitting on both Saturday and Sunday for the large number of anticipated first hearings.

This will follow a busy week for prosecutors, who have been working shifts in courts that have operated almost constantly for the past four days. Their willingness to volunteer for these duties and help keep the criminal justice system moving in extraordinary circumstances is a testament to their professionalism and commitment to seeing that justice is done.

CPS facts on disorders

CPS facts on national disorders 

11 August

• Prosecutors throughout the CPS have shown true professionalism and in addition to their working day have done shifts in courts which have stayed open all night.

 

• Three prosecutors shared shifts at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court from 11pm (on the 10th) till 5am. In addition, 59 cases were dealt with this morning between 5am and 9am.

 

• Two prosecutors shared shifts and worked overnight until 6am at Solihull Magistrates’ Court after which, they carried on this morning with their normal day work.

 

• Four prosecutors worked all night at Manchester City Magistrates' Court.

The CPS London day time charging centre has provided since August 10 an enhanced service to the police in response to the exceptional circumstances. Of calls to the centre, above 93 per cent have been answered in less than ten seconds. In normal circumstances, the agreed service level with the police is that 75 per cent of all calls are answered within 180 seconds.

Between 5pm yesterday and 9am this morning, our out-of hours charging service, CPS Direct, dealt with 97 disorder related cases across the country.

10 August

10 CPS prosecutors presented 64 cases in Camberwell Green and Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Courts until the early hours of the morning. This included very senior lawyers such as the Chief Crown Prosecutor for London, Alison Saunders, who prosecuted cases from 4am at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court.

Between 5pm on the 9th August and 9am on the 10th, CPS Direct, dealt with 105 disorder related cases across the country. The majority of these cases were from the Metropolitan Police. This represents more than 30 per cent of the workload for CPS Direct for the night.

CPS London responds to public disorder

Alison Saunders, Chief Crown Prosecutor for London, said:

“CPS London is doing all it can to ensure the successful prosecution of the individuals responsible and the future safety of Londoners.

“We have put in place a number of measures to ensure that the individuals committing these crimes are brought to justice swiftly and effectively.

“We are working closely with the police and have a team of prosecutors available to provide charging decisions 24/7 as quickly as possible. To take forward the prosecution of those responsible, we have set up a dedicated team.

“CPS London is also deploying prosecutors to police operational sites in London to provide on the spot charging advice to officers. We are working closely with the Courts Service to coordinate and expedite cases arising from the disorder, and have established designated magistrates’ courts to deal with them.”

How the CPS decides when to announce its decisions

The Evening Standard has today implied that the timing of the CPS announcement on discontining the cases against 109 Fortnum and Mason protesters was intended to “bury bad news”.

The CPS is an independent body and we announce decisions of public concern as soon as possible after the decision is reached. We have a duty to inform the suspects, or defendants in this case, as soon as we have reached a decision which concerns them. We take that duty very seriously as we understand that they will be waiting anxiously to hear any decision.

Once we’ve reached such a decision, the timing of any public announcement is aimed at ensuring that those directly affected by the decision can be informed first. The public will be informed as soon as is practicable after that.

CPS decision: not in the public interest to prosecute 109 Fortnum and Mason protesters

Alison Saunders, Chief Crown Prosecutor of CPS London, said:

“I have decided that the cases against 109 individuals who were charged after protesting in Fortnum and Mason on 26 March should be discontinued. However, we will continue to pursue the other 30 cases through the judicial process.

“After careful and necessary investigative work by the police to provide the fullest evidential picture, we have reviewed the evidence now available and considered representations made by the defence teams.

“I have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for the offence of aggravated trespass against all the defendants, however, in discontinuing these cases I have considered whether a prosecution is necessary in the public interest. I have decided that it is not, taking into account the following factors from the Code for Crown Prosecutors:

• that this was a single incident;

• that they have not been involved in similar offences previously and that they played only a minor role in the offending behaviour;

• that if these defendants had been convicted the court would be likely to impose only a nominal penalty.

“The police investigation was able to identify whether these factors were present for each defendant. It was only after such an investigation that these factors could be applied.

“We have warned those whose cases have been discontinued that this reasoning may not apply in future if they go on to commit other similar offences.

“We have notified the court and the defendants’ representatives of this decision.”

CPS Update - Wednesday 17 November

In the News

• Following the student protests last week in London, CPS London has authorised a charge of violent disorder against 18-year-old Edward Woollard from Southampton.

Grace Ononiwu, Legal Director for CPS London North, said:

"I can confirm we have advised that Edward Woollard should be charged with one count of violent disorder in relation to a student protest outside Conservative Party Headquarters in central London on 10 November 2010. The charge relates to an allegation that Mr Woollard made his way onto the roof of a neighbouring building where he threw a fire extinguisher to the ground below.

“After a careful review of the evidence supplied by Metropolitan Police, we have decided there is sufficient evidence to prosecute Mr Woollard and it is in the public interest to do so.

“Mr Woollard was charged last night at Belgravia police station and is appearing at City of Westminster Magistrates Court, today, Wednesday 17th November 2010."

Background: The maximum sentence for the offence of violent disorder is five years imprisonment.