Car-wash yob who hurled bricks and caused 'anarchy' during Harehills disorder is locked up
A yob who filmed the disorder in Harehills before launching debris at passing police cars has been jailed for 28 months.
George Dumitrescu was told that prison was inevitable for taking part in the trouble on July 18 last year.
The 26-year-old Romanian, who works as a car valeter, was first seen filming the disorder on his phone but then got involved.
Sitting at Leeds Crown Court, Judge Tom Bayliss KC described the trouble as “mob violence” that contributed to “anarchy and lawlessness” in Harehills that night.
Many of those involved have since been jailed for the trouble that night, which stemmed from an incident on Luxor Street at around 5pm as social workers attempted to take children into care over safeguarding issues.
It caused a scene and drew a 100-plus crowd, forcing the police to attend.
But the matter escalated, missiles were thrown towards the police and a police car was overturned.
The number of people swelled to more than 300 and a bus was later stopped and torched.
Prosecuting, Richard Holland said Dumitrescu was first seen filming when others targeted and tipped the police car over.
Later, he was seen clapping and encouraging crowds who had gathered as they opposed the police.
He was then seen picking up bricks and other objects and throwing them at passing police vehicles from close range. He threw at least five chunks of debris.
Dumitrescu, of Sandhurst Terrace, Harehills, later handed himself into the police when he became aware they were looking for him.
He admitted a charge of violent disorder. He has one previous conviction for an unrelated matter.
Mitigating, Ashleigh Metcalfe said: “He made a catastrophic error of judgement, and error of judgement that now has the consequences of changing his life at least in the very near future.”
She pointed to Dumitrescu handing himself in, and said he was advised by a solicitor not to make any comments during his interview.
She said he is now working as a car valeter in Wakefield and has a young family.
Judge Bayliss told him: “The initial disorder was nothing to do with you. You chose to involve yourself, and chose to involve yourself in attacking the police.
“You played a part in that mob violence. It’s a mercy that no police officer was seriously injured.
“You have family responsibilities. It will be your first prison sentence.”
After sentencing, Chief Superintendent Steve Dodds of West Yorkshire Police, said: “We welcome this latest conviction today and hope the frequency with which these prosecutions are appearing before the courts is reassuring residents in Harehills and wider West Yorkshire about how seriously this offending continues to be treated.
“Behaviour such as the kind we saw in Harehills will absolutely not be tolerated, and those involved in serious offending are now finding that such law breaking can only result in them losing their liberty.”