Cheylesmore’s Conservative Councillors have welcomed the sentences passed down this week on four men convicted of violent disorder in relation to their role in a riot that took place in their ward on 9th August 2011.
Trouble flared in Cheylesmore on August 9 as a mob clashed with officers, set fire to a parked car and also threw a petrol bomb at a passing motorist. At least six petrol bombs were thrown, including one that landed at the feet of a female passer-by but failed to ignite, whilst another seven glass bottles part-filled with fuel were found nearby.
Birmingham Crown Court heard how Harjit Sekhon (22), 20-year-old Ciaran Galvin, Craig Cresswell (23) and 19-year-old Easton Blackstock all played a role in the violence in a deliberate attempt to replicate riots seen elsewhere in the country.
The judge at the sentencing hearing described the incident as "the worst conceivable case of violent disorder" and praised the first officers on the scene for their bravery in placing their patrol car between the mob and members of the public. Sekhon and Cresswell were both jailed for three years nine months, Galvin handed a four year three month sentence and Blackstock imprisoned for 27 months.
In a statement Cllr Kevin Foster, Cheylesmore Ward Councillor and Leader of Coventry Conservatives, said: “There can be no excuse for the disgraceful behaviour of these four thugs. I welcome the fact that each of them has received a custodial sentence and will spend a lengthy period behind bars.”
He added: “I know many residents were dismayed to see Cheylesmore’s name dragged through the mud due to the actions of these individuals and their accomplices. These men came to our area intent on causing trouble, thankfully the Police responded both bravely and effectively, putting their safety on the line to protect the local community from these thugs. They equally deserve credit for ensuring these men were brought before the courts to face justice. I know the whole community in Cheylesmore will want to thank our Police for the service they have given.”