A primary school worker, postman, a young dad, a boy, 11, ... all among the first looters fast-tracked through the courts

-Courts sit through the night to handle high volume of offenders
-Primary school worker admits burglary at Richer Sounds
-Duo who made off with trolley full of power tools admit theft
-Father caught in stolen Lacoste trainers and body warmer weeps
-Convicted rioters warned they could lose council houses

By Daily Mail Reporter


A boy of 11 was among the first suspects to face justice today as courts worked around the clock to handle the mass of cases sparked by rioting and looting on Britain's streets.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was the youngest defendant to appear at Highbury Magistrates' Court, in Islington, north London, as suspect after suspect stood in the dock,

Wearing a blue Adidas tracksuit, he spoke only to confirm his name, age and date of birth.

A very misguided youth: An 11-year-old boy walks from Highbury Magistrates Court with a woman, thought to be his mother, right. Left, the same boy outside the court carrying TWO mobile phones


He pleaded guilty to burglary, after stealing a waste bin worth £50 from Debenhams. A charge of violent disorder was dropped.

During the brief hearing, the court heard the boy has already been given a referral order after being convicted of a separate offence just last week. No details of the conviction were given.

The cases are being fast-tracked because of the huge influx following more than 800 arrests in recent days.

Among the first this morning was primary school worker Alexis Bailey, 31, from Battersea, south London, who pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to steal from a Richer Sounds store.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO OF ALEXIS BAILEY LEAVING COURT
Primary school worker Alexis Bailey walking away from court after admitting burglary

The primary school worker was among the first to be processed in court after the riots


The 31-year-old was given bail but told her must adhere to a curfew. His case and many others have been committed to Wood Green Crown Court for sentencing.

Chair of magistrates Melvyn Marks told the court that the nature of the offences during a 'very violent riot' meant they did not have sufficient sentencing powers.

David Cameron has said today that he expects tough justice. Outside No10, he declared: 'It is for the courts to sentence but I would expect anyone convicted of violent disorder will be sent to prison.'

Cases were heard before a district judge overnight and magistrates took over this morning. One staff member said: 'It's just been constant.'

Pleaded guilty: Richard Myles-Palmer, left, and Jason White, right, both pleaded guilty to theft after they were caught in possession of a shopping trolley full of looted power tools

Student David Attoh, 18, from Hackney, was caught on August 8 in Hackney, with two Burberry t-shirts.

Attoh, who the court heard has completed an ICT B-Tech at Hackney Community College and was due to have an interview for an apprenticeship on Tuesday, admitted theft by finding.

The student, who was fined £150, had been receiving Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) while completing his B-Tech but over the summer was supported by his mother, the court heard.

Mr Marks told him: 'Don't get in trouble again. You have a bright future ahead of you, if you get into trouble again you are going to jeopardise that future.'

Other cases included looting at a Costco warehouse, people stealing clothes from damages shops and two men caught pushing a shopping trolley of power tools they claimed they had 'found'.

Richard Myles-Palmer, 19, and Jason White, 22, were spotted in Southwark with the tools. When told the goods were stolen, White allegedly replied: 'Yes, but I am taking them anyway.'

White, from Peckham, was also found with a Stanley knife. In court, he admitted possessing a knife in a public place and theft. Myles-Palmer, also from Peckham, admitted theft. Both were granted unconditional bail and will be sentenced on Friday.

Damage: Byron Cawley and his friend Shourov Choudhury, both 19, pleaded guilty to looting this Iceland store in Croydon. Brothers Samuel and Michael Caillaux denied ransacking the shop

Looted: The battered shop front of an Argos store in Surrey Street, Croydon. The area was hit hard by rioters, some of whom have appeared in court


Most defendants this morning pleaded guilty to their offences. Many were then given bail, often with an electronic tag.

One man who denied his charge was 19-year-old Adam Ozdas, from Hackney, who is accused of receiving stolen goods.

He was found with a large bottle of Southern Comfort, a large number of National Lottery scratchcards, tobacco, £90 in cash, and confectionery, the court heard.

Prosecutor Abiodun Kadri said: 'He stated that he found the items on the road and that he was going to hand them into a police station.'

Ozdas, who is due to start a college course in September, was granted conditional bail to appear again next month.

Postman and father-of-two Jeffrey Ebanks, 32, and his 18-year-old nephew appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with looting in Croydon.

Jamal, an A-level student hoping to start a degree course in business management later this year, pleaded guilty to stealing two laptops and a tablet computer from Comet.

Jeffrey pleaded not guilty to looting but admitted handling stolen goods - a JVC flat screen TV and will face trial later.

Wanted: Police are hunting the two girls pictured who are suspected of looting a Richer Sounds electrical store in South End, Croydon

Caught on camera: This woman and man are also wanted by police after appearing to loot from the Richer Sounds store which is close to the Iceland supermarket which two men admitted to looting


Another suspect, unemployed Abdi Ali, 21 - due to start a travel tourism degree soon - denied violent disorder and was remanded in custody.

Haramein Mohammed, 25, pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to steal after he was caught trying to steal from a Costco warehouse.

He had tried to pretend he was a member of staff and hid behind some crates.

Mohammed is already on licence after his four-year sentence for drug dealing was reduced to 40 months on appeal.

Another father-of-two, Christopher Heart, 23, broke down in tears as he apologised after pleading guilty to burglary with intent to steal.

He was caught red-handed in a JD sports wearing a brand new pair of Lacoste trainers and a body warmer with the tags still attached.

Michael Coffey, 47, was remanded in custody after appearing at Bristol Magistrates' Court which heard he had thrown bottles at police.

He did not enter a plea but his lawyer Billy Olanji told the court: 'He would describe himself as a person who has a knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.'

James Antwi, 18, was refused bail after he appeared in court accused of smashing his bicycle into a police patrol car during the riots in Bristol.

Antwi, of Stockwell, south London, who is in his third year of a Sports and Leisure qualification at Clapham College, did not enter a plea and was remanded.

Hands full: Youths spill out of a ransacked Poundland store in Peckham clutching crisps and fizzy drinks among other things

Wanted: Youths loot a Carhartt store in Hackney, and right, a local chemist in Croydon is stripped bare before police moved in to secure the area


Jason Akinole, 22, denied violent disorder and theft. The court heard allegations he was in a group of 50 men who smashed their way into a lotted an H Samuels jewellers in Ealing.

Lifeguard Aaron Mulholland, from Camberwell, is said to have joined thieves at the Foneworld store in the area. He wept in the dock as his solicitor insisted he had 'learned his lesson'.

Kerry Spence said: 'He is desperately, desperately sorry for the situation. He's absolutely disgusted with himself.'

Tower Bridge Magistrates' Court was told by one alleged masked looter that he had only been inside a Tesco stores while it was ransacked because he needed nappies for his baby.

Jason Matthews was arrested as he tried to flee police at the branch in East Dulwich where more than £100,000 of damage was caused on Monday.

Officers are said to have grappled with the 35-year-old, whose face was covered by a bandana, amongst broken glass and pools of pasta sauce from smashed jars.

Matthews, who is also alleged to have been in possession of cannabis at the time, had to be hit with a baton during the scuffle, the court was told.

Robert Davis, prosecuting, said that following Matthews' arrest he told officers he was 'not one of the bad ones'. 'The officers got it wrong,' he said. 'I needed to get pampers for my baby.'

District Judge Timothy Stone remanded him in custody, saying there were 'substantial grounds' to believe he would rejoin the anarchic scenes if released. He has yet to enter a plea.

Jack Onslow, from Bethnal Green, an aspiring hairdresser, admitted burglary with intent to steal after being found hiding under a cabinet in a shop.

The 18-year-old was warned he could be recalled to prison after breaching a nine-month suspended sentence for racially aggravated public order offences.

Student Samon Adesina, 23, was remanded in custody for a week after allegedly being one of several looters who stole a flatscreen TV from a shopping centre in Surrey Quays.

The court heard he thought there were 'free pickings' at the store. He will miss his final university in electrical engineering because he is in custody.

Lorriane McGrane, 19, was among the few women to appear in court and pleaded guilty to burgling Argos. She was spotted walking off with a Hitachi flatscreen TV.

She later told police that she 'knew what she had done was wrong but everyone else was doing it', the court heard.

Elsewhere, a 19-year old woman has been charged after allegedly posting a Facebook invite to a 'riot' in Wakefield.

A spokeswoman for West Yorkshire Police said the woman had been charged under the Serious Offences Act, 2007 and has been bailed to appear before Wakefield Magistrates on August 24.

In a separate case, a young man accused of using Facebook to encourage others to riot in Dundee city centre appeared in court.

Liam Allan, 18, appeared on petition in private at Dundee Sheriff Court charged with breach of the peace.

He made no plea or declaration and was remanded in custody.

The case was committed for further examination and Allan is expected to appear in court again next week.



source:dailymail