Rotherham prison rioter gets 10 years

A ROTHERHAM man who took part in a three-day riot at Doncaster's Moorlands Young Offenders' Institution has been jailed for 10 years.

And another Rotherham man who took part in the disturbance, which caused £641,500 of damage, was given a six-year sentence.

They  were among 15 inmates involved in a prison riot who were sentenced to a total of 83 years and eight months between them.

Adam Mendoza (24), was jailed for ten years including one year for contempt of court and Daniel Hallgate, also (24), was jailed for six years.

Mendoza, of Mill Street, Greasbrough, and Hallgate, of Munsbrough, were found guilty of rioting by a jury at Sheffield Crown Court earlier this year but their sentences can only now be published after reporting restrictions were lifted.

The court heard prisoners armed themselves with table legs and threw pool balls at jail officers during a three-day riot at the Moorlands Young Offenders Institution in Doncaster on November 2, 3 and 4, 2010.

Mendoza threw a pool ball and carried furniture and bedding to build a barricade against railings on a landing. He was also seen around the landing trying to incite others to join the riot.

Hallgate claimed he had been in his cell and that he was mistakenly identified by prison officers and refused to take part in an identification procedure.

The prosecution said the disorder was “both pre-planned and carefully orchestrated” and some prisoners went round the jail recruiting others to join the riot.

There were 166 inmates on the block at the time of the riot. CCTV evidence and testimony from two prison officers helped to identify the main ringleaders.

Lee Pidcock (32), of Sheffield ,and Mark McLean (23), of Worksop, were the main ringleaders. Pidcock, McLean and Michael Beale (25), of Bradford, were each jailed for nine years.

Four prisoners admitted the lesser charge of violent disorder.

Judge Rosalind Coe said: “This was a large-scale disturbance following a fight between prisoners during which staff lost control for five hours.”