Fathers who took sons to asylum hotel riot in Rotherham jailed


Two men have been jailed after taking part in a riot at a hotel in Manvers, Rotherham which housed asylum seekers. Stephen Roughley, 44, and Mason Reddy, 24, admitted to violent disorder and have been sentenced to two years and eight months and three years in jail, respectively. Roughley’s teenage son Kenzie was the first person to be jailed for his involvement in the riot, which left the hotel extensively damaged after police officers were attacked. Reddy was seen carrying his two-year-old son and shouting a racial slur during the incident.

Body-worn video evidence showed Roughley pushing past his son in order to hurl abuse at police officers during his sentencing hearing. Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, who criticised Kenzie Roughley’s father for not being present during the boy’s own hearing, remarked that were he to attend the court himself, he would be arrested. Roughley was caught on film throwing objects at a police van and inciting violence alongside his son.

Reddy, who attended the disturbance wearing “distinctive clothing” and wearing different shoes, threw bricks and rocks at the hotel before celebrating when a fire was lit. During the sentencing, the court heard that he had intended to protest peacefully and had brought his son along. Also sentenced at the hearing was Daniel Dicks, 33, who was captured on camera telling officers that the crowd “wanted” the people in the hotel. Dicks, who admitted to violent disorder, was jailed for two years and eight months.

Regan Urruty Dever, 22, had “limited involvement” in the incident, attending the hotel for around 20 minutes and grabbing the riot shields of police officers. He expressed remorse and pleaded guilty to violent disorder, receiving a two-year jail sentence

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