A Middlesbrough man has been sentenced for inciting violence during riots, encouraging others to throw a burning wheelie bin at police officers
This all went down on August 4, when tensions flared. McKenzie, 28, was caught on camera yelling, “I hate the *****,” as chaos erupted. Mobs were throwing bricks, and police cars were targeted. A whopping 320 officers were on the scene to manage the situation.
In court, McKenzie claimed he was just trying to get back to his car because of his disabilities. But the judge wasn’t buying it. CCTV showed him walking around just fine during the riots.
He appeared via video link from prison, where he’s been held since his arrest. The prosecutor described him as being “at the forefront of the riots.” Witnesses reported seeing windows smashed and bricks hurled outside homes.
His lawyer argued for a lighter sentence, saying McKenzie didn’t throw anything himself and had learned his lesson. But the judge made it clear that McKenzie’s actions went way beyond peaceful protesting.
He was sentenced to 33 months in prison for his role in the violent disorder.
