Manvers offender had son sat on his shoulders

A man who rammed shopping trolleys into police vehicles during the violent disorder at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel in Manvers, Rotherham, has been jailed.

James Garbutt was captured on video parading through the disorder with his young son sat on his shoulders.

The 41-year-old was seen pushing shopping trolleys into a police car - which had arrived to provide support to both the occupants of the hotel and the officers protecting the building.

Garbutt was identified through the several video clips which showed his shameful actions on August 4 last year.

Once arrested, Garbutt admitted it was him in the video footage - claiming he had been at the hotel to 'feed the ducks' with his son at a nearby lake.

Describing his actions as a 'moment of stupidity', Garbutt admitted his part in the deplorable scenes of violence.

Garbutt, of Kingsbrook Chase, Wath-upon-Dearne, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court to two years and four months in jail.

He also received a ten-year Criminal Behaviour Order.

Garbutt’s court appearance came as South Yorkshire Police Federation, the ‘union’ for rank and file officers responded to a Home Affairs Select Committee report on last summer’s riots across the country.

That found police nationally were not fully prepared for the violence which emerged from protests.

A spokesman for the South Yorkshire federation said: “We had more than 60 colleagues suffer injuries with officers facing a barrage of missiles, including concrete blocks, chairs and fire extinguishers and our courageous officers were fearing for their lives.

“They have been described as a thin blue line holding the line and we as a police service need to be better prepared to tackle these threats with improved intelligence and volume of colleagues to quell such disorder.

“What must not be lost in all the reports and analysis of last summer's riots is the immense bravery of our colleagues who kept people safe and maintained order... at no small personal sacrifice.

“Many going to hospital at the end of their shifts, rather than their homes. They were the best of us - and we as a Federation continue to support them.