October 24th 2024.
Levi Fishlock, who can be seen in the picture wearing jeans, has admitted to committing a serious crime. The 31-year-old man confessed to setting a fire at a hotel where many asylum seekers and staff were trapped during a riot. The incident took place on August 4 at a Holiday Inn Express in Manvers, Rotherham. Fishlock's presence at the scene was quite noticeable, as he was wearing a purple England football shirt with the name "Bellingham" written on the back.
Initially, Fishlock was supposed to go on trial in December. However, during his appearance in Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday, he pleaded guilty to two charges - violent disorder and arson with the intention to endanger lives. The judge, Peter Hampton, informed him that he would be sentenced on December 11. Previous hearings have revealed that Fishlock was part of a group that pushed a burning bin against the hotel and fueled the fire. He appeared in court wearing a blue-and-white Adidas T-shirt and was accompanied by a custody officer.
Another individual involved in the riot, 27-year-old painter and decorator Thomas Birley, was recently sentenced to nine years in prison. He was found guilty of multiple charges, including adding wood to the fire and helping place a second bin on top of the burning one. More than 60 people have been jailed for their participation in the disorder outside the hotel. The violence resulted in 64 police officers, four dogs, and a horse getting injured.
According to the court, over 200 asylum seekers were trapped on the upper floors of the hotel while the rioters smashed windows and set fire to the bin blocking the fire exit. The hotel staff described barricading themselves in a panic room during the chaos, fearing for their lives as they could smell the smoke. In another court hearing on Thursday, 38-year-old Jake Turton from Darfield, Barnsley, pleaded guilty to driving a pick-up truck filled with debris to the hotel where the rioters were looking for weapons to use against the police. He will be sentenced on November 6.
It was revealed in court that Turton was captured on camera arriving at the scene in a Ford Ranger truck loaded with wood and other items. These were then taken by the rioters and used as weapons against the police, along with fueling the fires around the hotel. Turton's defense lawyer, Abigail Langford, informed Judge Sarah Wright that the prosecution did not accuse her client of intentionally loading the truck with items to attack the police. She stated that the items were already on the truck, and people just took them. Judge Wright informed Turton that he would face a prison sentence, and he denied a second charge of taking a vehicle without consent, for which he was found not guilty.
Both Levi Fishlock and Jake Turton were remanded in custody following their court appearances.
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