Boy, 12, and teens sentenced for roles in disorder

A 12-year-old and two other boys who threw stones at police during widespread disorder in Leeds have been given referral orders.

The boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were 11, 13 and 15 years old when violence broke out in the Harehills area of the city in July 2024.

CCTV footage played during hearings at Leeds Youth Court on Tuesday showed the youngsters throwing bricks and stones at officers and damaging vehicles.

They all pleaded guilty to violent disorder and were ordered to take part in a programme aimed at preventing them from re-offending.

The disturbance started after police officers assisted social workers in taking four children into emergency foster care.

Footage of one of the boys, who is now 12, showed him targeting the police vehicle as part of a large crowd and throwing stones at officers.

He was also seen punching emergency vehicles and throwing a brick at a bus that had been set on fire by others.

In a clip shared on social media, the boy was heard to say: "Today was mad. We smashed the car. We did everything."

The court heard the boy had been referred to the youth justice service following his arrest because he had damaged a police cell by drawing with crayons on the wall.

The boy's solicitor said he was immature, led by others and wanted to apologise for his actions.

Youth justice worker Marian Popovici told the hearing the boy had been "remorseful from the very beginning for what he had done".

District Judge Timothy Capstick told the boy it was "a very, very serious offence of violent disorder" and "shocking" for an 11-year-old to get involved.

The judge said the author of a pre-sentence report had concluded that the boy had seen the actions of adults and older children and "just copied" them.

The boy, who was joined in court by his mother, was given a 10-month referral order and told his parents would have to pay £111 in costs.

Leeds Youth Court was also shown footage of a 15-year-old boy who threw bricks at officers during the disorder.

He was also seen adding a sofa and a fridge to a fire in the street and helping a large group of people stop a bus in the road and later kicking the windscreen until it shattered.

Judge Capstick told the boy he was being given a six-month referral order because he does not have settled status to remain and would be returning to his home country.

The boy stood up to address the court through an interpreter to say: "I am sorry for everything that has happened.

"I promise this will never happen again."

A third boy, who is now 14, was given a 10-month referral order after he pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

The teenager was seen throwing stones and damaging police vehicles.

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