Court hears riot sentence appeals

26 September 2011 Last updated at 21:47 ET

Three nights of rioting broke out in English cities after a protest over a police shooting in north London

Ten appeals against sentence by people jailed over August’s riots and looting in England are due to be heard later.

Among the cases at the Court of Appeal are those involving two men who were each jailed for four years for inciting riots on Facebook that never happened.

Three judges will consider if sentences for crimes including burglary and violent disorder were excessive. Their judgements will come at a later date.

More than 1,700 people accused over the riots have gone before the courts.

More than 300 sentences have been handed down so far.

“The riots were treated by the courts as unprecedented disorder justifying a departure from normal sentencing guidelines,” said BBC legal affairs correspondent Clive Coleman.

“The Lord Chief Justice and two fellow judges will decide if that approach was justified. They’re likely to lay down guidance to be followed as more of those involved in the riots come before the courts.”

Some MPs, legal figures and justice campaigners have argued that disproportionate sentences have been handed down.

The 10 cases to be heard on Tuesday are:

• Jordan Blackshaw, 20, of Northwich, Cheshire, and Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan, 22, of Warrington, Cheshire, who were jailed after pleading guilty to encouraging a riot on Facebook
• Coach driver David Beswick, 31, of Anson Street, Eccles, jailed for 18 months for handling stolen goods
• Chef Enrico Vanasco, 25, jailed for 20 months after admitting burglary relating to a £300 camera
• Hassan Halloway, 39, of Bennett Street, Crumpsall, who was jailed for four years and eight months after admitting burglary charges and violent disorder
• Territorial Army soldier Lorraine McGrane, 19, from Peckham, south-east London, jailed for 13 months after admitting stealing a television
• Stephen Carter, 26, of James Street, Salford, who was caught with a bag of clothes and shoes worth £500 and jailed for 16 months for theft by finding
• Michael Gillespie-Doyle, 18, from Openshaw, Manchester, who admitted burglary and was sentenced to two years in a ng offenders institution
• Stephen Craven, 25, of Pendleton, Lancashire, jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to handling stolen goods
• Hasan Koyuncu, sentenced at London’s Wood Green Crown Court to 12 months in a ng offenders institution for burglary

Burglary most common

Violence broke out in the north London borough of Tottenham last month after a protest over the fatal police shooting of local man Mark Duggan.

Between 6 and 9 August, the disorder spread to several other English cities, including Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham. Shops were looted, buildings burned and the deaths of five people have been linked to the rioting.

Ministry of Justice figures released earlier this month showed that burglary was the most common offence relating to the riots. It accounted for 44% of charges, compared with violent disorder at 22%.

Just over half those who had appeared in court were aged 20 or under.

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