Four men from Tir-y-Berth and Bargoed have been jailed for attacking a peace protest with chairs, tables and bottles.
The men were among eight defendants who were sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court today, August 12, after being involved in violence at a protest in Cardiff city centre against the Israeli assault on Gaza last summer.
Seven men were jailed, with one defendant given a suspended jail sentence.
Daniel Woods 23, of Farm Close in Tir-y-Berth and Grant Ashcroft, 23, of Llewellyn Street, Gilfach, near Bargoed, were jailed for two years, after a jury found them guilty last month of violent disorder.
John Williams, 33, of Cardiff Road, Bargoed, and Nicholas Carter, 34, of St Mary Street, Bargoed, were jailed for 12 months after admitting the same offence.
The four were part of a core group of “hooligans” who threw chairs and bottles into the peace march as it passed the Retro bar on Mill Lane in the city centre on July 26 last year.
They were also verbally abusive towards the crowd and made offensive hand gestures.
Two innocent people were injured with one man suffering a cut leg, while another man needed a 90 minute operation to repair a split eyelid caused by a flying chair.
The court heard Woods threw a chair and table into the crowd after being stabbed with a flag or placard, while Carter threw a beer bottle.
Ashcroft threw a chair into protesters after he caught it being thrown back over the barrier outside the bar and Williams also threw a chair.
The judge, who described the men as “hooligans”, said both their individual actions and general behaviour led to their incarceration.
Prosecuting, Eugene Egan, said that the demonstration included people of all ages, including many women and young children.
He said: “The evidence at trial was that there were around 2,000 to 3,000 people on the march.
“Some people outside the bars shouted at protesters, things like EDL, shorthand for English Defence League.”
Other remarks included “why don’t you go back to your own country”, racial slurs and sexually derogative comments aimed at women, many of whom were Muslim.
Mr Egan said the situation was made worse due to lack of organisation by Cardiff City Council and the police, who had two police officers to monitor and marshal the event.
The trouble began when Daniel Smout, 25, of Shropshire, threw a glass at the protesers outside the Walkabout pub on St Mary’s Street. He was jailed for 12 months for affray.
Violence then flared when the march reached the “bottleneck” of Mill Lane.
Prior to individually sentencing the defendants, Justice Fitton said: “On Saturday July 26 last year a march took place in the city centre of Cardiff to bring attention to the suffering of the people of Palestine.
“It included people of all ages, including women and children.
“The participants had every reason to expect their right to march should be publicly respected.
“Some of those drinking took exception to the protesters and a glass or bottle was thrown into the crowd just as the march was alongside.
“A group of men took it upon themselves to react to the marchers.
“Those who were drinking outside the Retro bar were responsible for shouting abuse, the throwing of liquid, probably beer into the crowd.
“Chairs were hurled from the bar, not just into the crowd but directly at protesters.
“Responsibility of shouting of personal, offensive, and I have to say, racist abuse is that of the men outside the bar.
“In the heat of the moment they relished the violence.”
Sentencing Woods, Mr Fitton said: “You were one of the prime offenders and part of the group whose conduct was responsible for setting off the chain of events.
“You threw a table and your conduct in general was that of a hooligan.”
Defending Woods, Andrew Taylor also criticised the police and council for their handling of the demonstration.
He said: “Things could not have been done in a more negligent and insufficient way. It added to the prolonged and unfortunate incident.”
He added: “Daniel Woods is not a racist. He had no hostility to the marchers, he even put money in the bucket carried by the marchers.”
Among the eight defendants, two were taking part in the march.
Demonstrator Yussef Asad, 28, of Swansea was jailed for two years and six months for violent disorder, after hitting a man with a chair before throwing a table into those outside the Retro bar, while Ashan Malik, 57, of Aberdare, was giving a 12 month jail sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting violent disorder.
All eight expressed remorse and said they got caught up in the days’ events.
Was my comment deleted?
All I said was that they weren’t found guilty of racist abuse and the headline should be changed