'Community hero' jailed for hurling bricks in riots

A erstwhile assemblage grant victor who hurled bricks astatine a constabulary van during a riot successful Southport has been jailed.

Joshua Cropper, 31, of Pitt Street, Southport, who was antecedently fixed a Pride of Sefton Award, was caught connected video launching rocks, bricks and a factual slab astatine the van portion officers were inside, Merseyside Police said.

He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years for convulsive upset successful the municipality connected 30 July.

Meanwhile, a 16-year-old lad from Knowsley, who cannot beryllium named, has been convicted of assaulting a constabulary serviceman during convulsive upset successful Liverpool connected 3 August.

Cropper was fixed a courageousness grant successful the 2023 Pride of Sefton Awards for rescuing a fig of dogs from a burning house.

Awards organisers Stand Up For Southport reported astatine the clip that helium was "overwhelmed" to get the award.

Speaking to the Stand Up For Southport assemblage website astatine the time, the dad-of-three said: “I judge successful karma. It’s bully to bash things to assistance different people.”

Det Ch Insp Tony Roberts said: “Cropper played a cardinal relation successful the atrocious scenes helium and others brought to the municipality that day."

He said Cropper had repeatedly smashed the broadside model of a constabulary van with a stone portion officers were wrong and picked up a factual slab which helium past utilized to onslaught the bonnet a fig of times.

“While Cropper was topless throughout, helium made immoderate effort to screen his look with a apical tied astir his cervix and helium wore a cap," helium added, .

Sitting connected Tuesday, Liverpool Crown Court besides heard that the 16-year-old assaulted a constabulary serviceman by kicking him successful the backmost aft helium had already been pushed disconnected his motorbike connected The Strand.

Mobile telephone footage of the incidental was shared wide connected societal media.

The teen was convicted of convulsive disorder, transgression damage, battle by beating of an exigency idiosyncratic and 2 counts of burglary different than successful a dwelling.

He was besides identified connected footage arsenic being astatine the forefront of a ample mob who threw bricks astatine officers arsenic good arsenic damaging and burgling stores successful Clayton Square.

A pre-sentence study was ordered and the boy, who besides tried to conceal his individuality with a look mask, volition adjacent look astatine Liverpool Crown Court connected 1 October.

DCI Roberts said the footage of the constabulary serviceman being assaulted connected The Strand was "truly shocking".

"A batch of radical would person viewed it and been appalled aft it was wide shared connected societal media successful the contiguous aftermath of the upset successful Liverpool," helium said.

“Thankfully the serviceman didn’t prolong superior injuries during this peculiar incident, but the aggression and unit connected show serves arsenic a snapshot of what each of our officers had to woody with during the incidents successful Liverpool and Southport."

The unit continued to place suspects with much charges expected, helium added.