A teenager, aged 14, has been found guilty of participating in violent acts against police officers during disturbances that occurred in the Harehills area of Leeds last summer. The individual, whose identity remains protected by legal provisions, was convicted of committing violent disorder on July 18, following a brief trial at Leeds Youth Court. The unrest erupted after social workers, following legal directives, removed children from a family’s home in the neighborhood that day.
The District Judge, Timothy Capstick, delivered the guilty verdict, stating that the evidence presented made it clear that the teenager in question was involved in the violent incidents. The sentencing for the teenager is scheduled for April 9. During the trial, video clips were shown depicting a person in a white top assisting others in flipping a police car on Luxor Street. The same individual was also captured posing for a picture in front of the overturned vehicle and seen picking up stones to throw at law enforcement officers.
Despite denying his involvement and claiming to have been at home with his family that evening, the defendant was identified based on his distinctive characteristics in the footage. The defence argued that there was no forensic or fingerprint evidence linking the teenager to the overturned police car. Additionally, the defendant’s mother testified that he was present at home during the disturbances. Despite maintaining a position of “no comment” during police interviews, the judge concluded that the evidence pointed to the teenager’s active participation in the violent events
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