Violent Disorder Charge Dropped in Riot Case

A court has been informed that a man charged with violent disorder during the summer riots will not face additional legal proceedings. Christopher Howard, aged 42, had been undergoing trial at Teesside Crown Court, where he had pleaded not guilty to the charge. Prosecutor Rachel Masters informed the jury that no video evidence existed showing Mr Howard committing an offense in Middlesbrough on August 4, and consequently, there was “no realistic prospect of conviction.” Three additional individuals—Kaleb Peacock-Lightfoot, 20, Joseph McKenzie, 28, and Anthony Brown, 38—are also currently on trial, having pleaded not guilty to violent disorder. Judge Jonathan Carroll instructed the jury to deliver a verdict of not guilty for Mr Howard. Earlier, the court had heard that Mr Howard’s actions were observed by a police officer, who stated that an “older unidentified man” was joined by the defendant, and both individuals kicked the officer’s shield. The jury was informed that the unrest originated from an afternoon protest held at the town’s cenotaph and subsequently spread. The Crown Prosecution Service stated that this represents the initial trial connected to the riots in the North East that involve charges of violent disorder. Mr McKenzie, residing at Skeldale Grove in Darlington, was observed to “be at the forefront” of the disturbance, yelling expletives and launching projectiles at police officers. An officer testified to the jury that he was positioned “approximately five to 10m in front of our line, in between ourselves and the main disorder taking place.” Mr Brown, from Windsor Road in Middlesbrough, also faces an accusation of assaulting an emergency worker. The prosecution alleged that he hit a police officer on the shoulder using a bicycle. “Mr Brown made a lean to his right and swung his bike in front of him in a swinging motion, it came round my shield and hit me on my side on my left shoulder,” the officer recounted to the court. Gary Wood, representing the defense, proposed based on footage presented to the jurors that the bicycle was not raised sufficiently high to strike the officer’s shoulder. The jury was additionally informed that the actions of Mr Peacock-Lightfoot, from Dixon Grove in Middlesbrough, were recorded on CCTV, showing him as part of a group engaged in throwing projectiles. During the defense’s presentation, Lee Goodchild questioned the officer who apprehended Mr Peacock-Lightfoot about whether they had observed the defendant throwing a projectile at the police, to which the officer responded negatively. The proceedings are anticipated to conclude within five days. For updates, follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram, external. Story submissions can be sent to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding the BBC’s policy on external linking is available.