Plymouth trio jailed for roles in violent disorder
A woman and two men have today, Friday 16 August, been jailed for a total of six years and two months for their roles in the violent disorder in Plymouth city centre on Monday 5 August.
Kerry Gove, 34, of Maker View, Andrew Ball, 49, of Lisson Grove, and Grant Braidwood, 40, of Elliott Road, all pleaded guilty at a Magistrates’ hearing on Thursday.
They appeared before Judge Linford at Plymouth Crown Court where he sentenced Gove to 18 months, Ball to 32 months and Braidwood also to 32 months.
The court heard that Gove had been in the area earlier in the day and had reattended later in the evening to ‘see what was going on’. She was heard to repeatedly swear and behave aggressively towards police, with the prosecution describing her behaviour as “hostile”.
Gove kicked at an officer’s shield when she was told to get back, as officers removed a sheet of metal from the floor. In interview she described her actions as “disgusting and appalling”.
On sentencing, Judge Linford said: “Anybody who willingly involved themselves in that disorder are going to prison.”
He added: “Your offending was in a context of widespread public disorder…custody, to the exclusion of all other sentencing options, is appropriate.”
The judge was shown footage, taken by police, where Ball was seen pushing himself to the front of a group where he shouted and swore at officers before throwing a drink over them.
The court heard that Ball became involved in disorder on a number of occasions throughout the evening where he made threats to police and was repeatedly verbally abusive to police and others who were in attendance.
Braidwood also involved himself in the disorder and was heard to utter threats and be verbally abusive towards police officers . He was also seen to pick up and throw items into a crowd of people.
He used a face covering and attempted to conceal his identity when Evidence Gathering Teams were nearby.
The prosecution described the two men as “active and persistent” in their roles, with the judge reiterating that both men showed “persistence” in the actions.
In the past two weeks, Judge Linford has jailed 12 individuals to over 26 years in prison for offences of violent disorder in Plymouth.
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