Shock moment mum, 21, pushing baby in pram joins riot outside migrant hotel & hurls water at cops – as she’s spared jail
THIS is the shocking moment a mum pushing her baby in a pram joins a baying mob of rioters outside a migrant hotel.
Nevey Smith, 21, also hurled water at cops during scenes of violence outside a Holiday Inn in Manchester on July 31.
She was seen in video footage pushing her 20-month-old baby in a pram as rioters confronted police.
Smith, of Oldham, cried in the dock as she admitted violent disorder at Manchester Magistrates' Court last month.
During the chaos, the court heard a bus was attacked and an asylum seeker being escorted into the hotel was injured by flying glass.
Phillip Hall, prosecuting, said Smith was seen as part of the group and threw liquid towards police officers and hotel residents being escorted inside.
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Further footage from a police helicopter showed Smith pushing her pram while a man was taken to the ground and arrested by three officers.
But she was spared a prison sentence and instead handed a community order at Manchester Crown Court today.
Passing sentence, Judge Patrick Field KC slammed her for attending the riot with her child.
He said: "You chose to join (the disorder) notwithstanding that you had your 20-month-old child in a pushchair.
"What on earth were you thinking? I doubt you had his safety in mind."
He also told the mum she was "misguided, naive and immature".
Smith had been taking the child to see her grandmother when she spotted her auntie near the hotel.
The court earlier heard Smith "lost her temper" as the crowd began hurling missiles at police when they tried to ease tensions.
The court was also told the mum "had a child in a stroller with her at the time".
But Judge Field KC said she her role was “minimal and peripheral” as she had not been involved in throwing bricks or encouraging others to do so.
Daniel Calder, defending, told the court Smith had not set out to attend the protest on the day, and had been passing the riot when she “foolishly” got involved.
He said that Smith didn't know what an asylum seeker is.
Smith was handed a community order and made to attend reviews at a women’s problem-solving court, and carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
She was joined at the riot by her mum Vanessa, who has also pleaded guilty to violent disorder and will be sentenced on Thursday.
It comes as another mum and daughter, along with the daughter's partner, are being sentenced today over riots in Middlesbrough on August 4.
Amanda Walton, 52, and daughter Megan Davison, 24, earlier admitted violent disorder.
Davison, who had taken drugs and alcohol, was caught on CCTV jumping up and down on the roof of a parked red car.
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Her mum, meanwhile, threw missiles at officers.
Davison was today jailed for 20 months and her mum sentenced to 22 months.