Man jailed for role in Rotherham hotel riot

Prosecutor Stephanie Hollis earlier said four police dogs and a horse were physically injured during the violence at the hotel.

Nearby residents were concerned about what they saw happening during the “prolonged attack on police and hotel occupants”, with local residents fearing the violence would spread and fearing for their lives, she declared.

Ms Hollis told the court that tensions had been building outside the hotel “well before the physical violence broke out”.

Annables was seen on police body camera footage arriving before noon drinking a bottle of alcohol and he was still there “hours later,” she said.

Ms Hollis said Annables was seen on video footage tearing wooden planks from a nearby perimeter fence and throwing them at police.

He also picked up “a stone or piece of concrete” and threw it at the officers before attempting to kick a police van.

The court heard Annables then entered the hotel to arm himself with a chair to smash a window before throwing it, and joined in with chants of “Yorkshire, Yorkshire”.

Ms Hollis said that during his first interview with police, Annables told officers he did not take part in the disturbance, but later pleaded guilty to his role in the violence.

The judge told Annables she was sentencing him to three years in prison because of the role he played in the violent disturbances, “perpetrated by a mob of which you were a part.”