Nine key moments from today’s Ely riots sentencing hearing

Need to know

Six people appeared in the dock at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday

Six people appeared in the dock over their part in the Ely riots on the second day of a sentencing hearing at court. Thirty people are being sentenced over the course of two weeks. Here’s everything you need to know about day two of the hearing:

• Around 150 people attended the riot which saw hours of violence and vandalism take place on the streets on and near Wilson Road in the west Cardiff suburb.
• Rioting erupted following the deaths of two teenage boys. Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15 were involved in an electric bike crash on May 22, 2023 and were both later pronounced dead at the scene.
• Moments after the collision large crowds consisting of members of the close-knit community of Ely came out to witness the horror as it unfolded.
• Shock and sadness quickly turned to distress and anger at how the police were handling the scene and as rumours circulated that the police were responsible for the death of Kyrees and Harvey who had previously been pursued by a police van.
• During day two of the sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court, Lee Robinson, Callum O’Sullivan, Ashdon O’Dare, Kyle Telemaque, Harvey James, and Tyler Stapleton appeared in the dock as the court was told about their involvement in the riots.
• The court heard how Lee Robinson threatened to kill a police officer and cheered as a petrol bomb was hurled at PC Zoe Lea. His defence barrister said he’d had a difficult start in life was diagnosed with ADHD.
• Kyle Telemaque, who was 17 at the time of the riots, set items alight and threw them at police, the court heard. In mitigation, Telemaque’s barrister said the defendant was a personal friend of Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans and that the news of their deaths was a distressing experience.
• The court was also told that Callum O’Sullivan was throwing missiles at police throughout the riot. Callum O’Sullivan had entered a guilty plea to rioting and the court was told he has a learning difficulty.
• When Harvey James appeared in the dock, the court was told that he was part of the crowd resisting police efforts to move the line up Wilson Road and that he threw a missile. The court also heard he lost his job at The Range as a result of his involvement in the riots.
• Subscribers can read full details from the sentencing hearing in Cardiff Crown Court here.