TikToker Mizzy sentenced to 18 weeks in young offender institute after flouting order not to share videos of people
21 November 2023, 15:29 | Updated: 21 November 2023, 16:12
TikToker Mizzy has been sentenced to 18 weeks in a young offender institute.
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The 19-year-old prankster, whose real name is Bacari-Bronze O'Garro, was found guilty of two counts of breaching a court order that barred him from sharing videos of people without their consent at his trial last month.
He had denied four counts of breaching the order, and was found not guilty on two other counts.
One of the videos showed passers-by in the background as father-of-one Mizzy said to the camera: "The UK law is a joke."
Read more: TikTok menace Mizzy spotted trashing Primark with band of followers on Oxford Street
Judge Matthew Bone told him "put bluntly your pranks are not funny" at Stratford Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
He had ordered O'Garro in October to not use social media "at all" except to send messages until his sentencing.
As he sentenced him, Judge Bone said O'Garro's actions had been motivated by a desire to "receive money and designer clothes from sponsors".
"Your further offending was motivated by your desire to be famous.
"Your actions caused innocent members of the public significant harm and distress.
"You claimed on national television the law was weak."
Mizzy has become notorious over the past year for terrorising people with his pranks, which he then posts to social media sites, including TikTok.
One stunt saw him and a band of followers storm a branch of Primark in Oxford Street, before throwing items onto the ground.
Other videos showed him entering a family’s home without permission, riding an e-bike through a Sainsbury’s and running off with an elderly woman’s dog.
He also pleaded guilty in May to breaching a community protection notice after walking into a stranger’s property.
He was ordered to pay £365 including an £80 victim surcharge and £85 costs.
Mizzy has been ordered not to enter private property and banned from Stratford Westfield.
In mitigation, O'Garro's lawyer Paul Lennon said he was a "young man" and had shown a "lack of maturity."
Mizzy is completing a creative media production course at a sixth form college, and started a job as a waiter in a restaurant earlier this week, Mr Lennon said.
"He is very academic and is predicted to achieve a distinction," he added.
"He is making attempts to better himself."
The judge handed the prankster an 18 week sentence for one of the offences, and 14 weeks for the other, but ruled they should run concurrently.
The judge also "strengthened" the star's social media ban, ruling that he could not share any videos, act with others to share videos or contribute to other people's social media accounts for two years.
He was also ordered not to trespass on private property, or enter the E12 area of London.
O'Garro was also ordered to pay a £154 surcharge.
Speaking after the hearing, DCI Yasmin Lalani of the Met Police said: "I just think it is appropriate, when you have disregard for the law, I think it is a fitting sentence and I hope that he gets some help.
"I think it is a loud and clear message that nobody is above the law and that you have got to be held accountable.
"I think the right result has come through, more for the public as well, because I think the community were upset with the lack of respect for the law of the country and the distress and harassment he was causing, it was a blatant disregard for the harassment and distress for the community.
"It is really for the age range of the very young to the elderly, members deserve to live, work, play and be safe in their own area."
