'What on earth were you thinking?': Mum who brought baby son to riot in pushchair spared jail by judge
23 September 2024, 13:39 | Updated: 23 September 2024, 13:42
A "misguided, naive and immature" young mother who took her 20-month-old son in a pram to an asylum hotel riot has been spared jail.
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Nevey Smith, 21, of West Street, Oldham, threw water at police officers trying to keep order outside Holiday Inn in Newton Heath, Manchester, on July 31.
She admitted violent disorder last month.
Judge Patrick Field KC, sentencing her at Manchester Crown Court on Monday, said: "You chose to join (the disorder) notwithstanding that you had your 20-month-old child in a pushchair.
"What on earth were you thinking? I doubt you had his safety in mind."
Smith was handed a community order and made to attend reviews at a women's problem-solving court, and carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
A 14-year-old who took part in riots was spared prosecution after receiving a stern telling-off from his parents.
Director of public prosecutions (DPP) Stephen Parkinson said the wrath of the teen’s mother and father, who quickly took their son to a police station after discovering his role in the riots, was “more effective” than anything the criminal justice system could have done.
Mr Parkinson highlighted the actions of the mum and dad, comparing them to other parents who saw taking part in the far-right riots as a “leisure activity.”
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"We've come across instances, anecdotally, of families regarding it as a day out, to go and just join in the disorder,” he told the PA News Agency.
"But conversely, we had an instance where a family marched their 14-year-old to the police station, having seen on social media that that individual had been involved in the disorder.
"And actually, we took the decision that the wrath that had been visited on that child by his parents was more effective than anything the criminal justice system could deliver.
