A 20-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison following his arrest during disorder in East Leicester last Saturday.
Amos Noronha, of Illingworth Road, Leicester, appeared at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon.
He was arrested during a police operation in East Leicester.
An additional 18 people were arrested on Sunday night for a number of offences including affray, common assault, possession of an offensive weapon and violent disorder.
In total, 47 people have been arrested for offences in relation to the unrest in the east of the city. Some of those arrested were from out of the city, including some people from Birmingham.
The investigations into these offences are on going with dedicated staff collecting evidence.
Temporary Chief Constable Rob Nixon said: “This quick charge reflects the hard work the officers have put in, with overwhelming evidence against Noronha. The sentence is reflective of the fact that this was a serious offence and he has ended up with time in prison.
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Meanwhile, a man was sentenced for carrying a knife at a protest in Leicester last weekend.
Adam Yusuf, 21, received a suspended jail sentence after admitting possessing a knife at a march on Sunday.
The protest followed unrest on Saturday in which 25 officers and a police dog were injured.
Rob Nixon, told the BBC that social media had played a “huge role” in fanning the flames.
“There are significant things on there which are false,” he said, citing assaults of people and attacks on religious establishments as examples.
“My plea is that please, if people are seeing information on social media, if they can’t validate it, please don’t circulate it.
“Because what we know people are doing is they are receiving fake news via social media and then they are forwarding it on, so it’s amplifying the problem, and it’s raising fear.”
UPDATE:
Police have charged a further five men in relation to disorder in Leicester.
The five new men charged are:
- Paresh Pravin, 25, of Langford Way, Leicester. He is charged with drink driving, after being arrested on 6 September.
- Akshay Jiva, 27, of Rotherby Avenue, Leicester. He is charged with possession of an offensive weapon, after being arrested on 7 September.
- Aslan Ibrahim, 28, Canon Street, Leicester. He is charged with making threats to kill, after being arrested on 7 September.
- Rahul Manikane, 21, of Clevedon Crescent, Leicester. He is charged with drink driving, after being arrested on 10 September.
- Sanket Dansukh, 26, of Mornington Street, Leicester. He is charged with possession of an offensive weapon, after being arrested on 11 September.
