Rotherham riot: Judge left shocked at Holiday Inn riot footage of 14-year-old who threw flaming items at police

A district judge who has been sentencing rioters at Sheffield's magistrates and youth courts said there is only one case he has dealt with that is worse than what the teenager did outside the Holiday Inn Express, in Manvers, near Rotherham , on August 4 .

The teenager could not look at the footage of him stoking the fire, throwing missiles and shouting a racial slur at police when it was played in the youth court on Wednesday.

A woman who accompanied him to court burst into tears when the footage was played, with prosecutor Chantel Lowery-Green fast-forwarding through some of video clips so save court time, as it was so extensive.

District Judge Marcus Waite told him: "Other than one case, that's the worst behaviour I've seen. And, for that to be done by a balaclava-ed up 14-year-old, I have to say, I'm pretty shocked."

Judge Waite told the teenager: "If you were five years older, you'd been going to prison for years for what I have watched."

He said: "But we don't treat 14-year-olds like 19-year-olds."

The judge explained to the defendant, who lives in the Doncaster area, that - due to his age and his lack of any previous convictions - the option to send him to youth detention was closed.

He said a report from the Youth Justice service also suggested that putting him behind bars would probably increase, rather than decrease the chances of him re-offending in the future.

Instead, the judge gave him an intensive referral order for 12 months, which he said was the maximum amount.

Judge Waite told the boy: "Hopefully this is the first and last time that you are in court."

Mary Rose Macadam , defending, told the judge about some of the difficulties the boy had earlier in his life - but the youngster interrupted, saying: "That's not an excuse".

The court heard how the boy's actions were part of the mob violence outside the hotel housing more than 200 asylum seekers which lasted for hours and left more than 50 police officers injured, as well as four dogs and a horse.

At one point, the rioters broke into the hotel and tried to set the building alight as staff and resident barricaded themselves in, fearing they would die, the court was told.

The fire fuelled by the defendant, who admitted arson and violent disorder, was not the one which was started against one of the fire doors of the hotel, and was a short distance away from the building, in the middle of Manvers Way.

The judge was told that the boy was also caught on CCTV filling his pockets with stones from a nearby driveway to throw at police, and was also seen throwing wooden planks at officers.

He heard that the flaming items thrown at the heads of officers appeared to include the wheels of the wheelie bin.

Ms Macadam said: "He's remorseful, embarrassed and ashamed".