Girl, 13, becomes Britain's youngest female rioter after being convicted of violent disorder
13 August 2024, 12:13 | Updated: 13 August 2024, 13:31
A 13-year-old girl has been convicted for threatening unlawful violence outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Aldershot during the disorder sparked by the Southport murders.
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The youth pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Basingstoke Magistrates' Court on Tuesday following a protest outside Potters International Hotel on July 31.
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted threatening unlawful violence that would cause a person to fear for his or her personal safety while with three or more other people in the Hampshire town.
The girl, who sat with her parents throughout the short hearing, will be sentenced on 30 September at the same court.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said she was seen punching and kicking the entrance to the hotel.
Thomas Power, a senior crown prosecutor, said: "This alarming incident will have caused genuine fear amongst people who were being targeted by these thugs - and it is particularly distressing to learn that such a young girl participated in this violent disorder.
"Large scale public unrest is never acceptable and the Crown Prosecution Service will not hesitate to respond swiftly and robustly to uphold law and order."
Read more: Two 12-year-olds become youngest to be charged over riots after Southport stabbings
Far-right protests and violence broke out following the killing of three young girls in Southport after misinformation spread online surrounding the suspect claiming he was an asylum seeker.
Alleged rioters continue to be charged, with further hearings due to take place in cities such as Sheffield, Plymouth, Liverpool and Manchester.
Suspects also continue to be brought before the courts facing charges of stirring up racial hatred, with people due to appear in court in Leicester and Chester on Tuesday.
As of Monday, 975 people had been arrested and 546 charged following the disorder, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said.
This comes after two 12-year-olds became the youngest people to be charged for their parts in the riots on Monday.
A 12-year-old boy from Southport has been charged with violent disorder and is due to appear at Merseyside Youth Court on Monday.
The other 12-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of violent disorder while attending Manchester City Magistrates Court today.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, a 53-year-old man was jailed for 16 months after pleading guilty to three charges following a counter-protest in Brighton on 7 August.
Ian Ward was arrested and charged with affray, assault by beating of an emergency worker, and assault by beating.
