Doncaster former pro-boxer jailed for part in Rotherham hotel riot

A former professional boxer who tried to overturn a police van during rioting in Rotherham has been jailed.

Luke Crowcroft, 30, acted completely "out of character" when he joined in mob violence outside a hotel housing asylum seekers, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

Trouble broke out after hundreds of people gathered for an anti-immigration protest at the Holiday Inn Express, in Manvers, on 4 August.

Police officers were attacked and the hotel's windows were smashed, forcing staff to barricade themselves inside. A bin was pushed against the building and set alight.

Doncaster-based Crowcroft was part of a group which rocked a police van, leaving those inside terrified, the court heard.

Ed Moss, mitigating, told the court how Crowcroft was a successful boxer from an early age, represented his country as an amateur and later became the youngest professional.

He told the court: “This is a man who, all of his life, has been disciplined.”

Mr Moss said: “It is simply not in his nature. It is just bizarre to everyone who knows him why he was there and doing what he did.

“Out of character simply doesn’t do it justice”.

Mr Moss said Crowcroft was devoted to the 15-year-old son of his partner, who has a number of problems, and the defendant is a key part of his care.

He said: “He wishes me, on his behalf, to apologise to everybody – to the court, to the police, to his own family.”

Judge Sarah Wright was shown video footage of how the police dog van was violently rocked by a group outside the hotel.

The court was told how there was a chief inspector and a PC inside, as well as a dog, and a statement from the junior officer outlined how he was terrified the vehicle was going to be overturned and set on fire.

Crowcroft, of Danesway, Scawthorpe, Doncaster, admitted violent disorder at a previous hearing. He was jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Judge Wright also jailed 19-year-old Ashley Lowe on Monday after she heard how he took part in various aspects of the disorder, including entering the hotel building after a fire door had been smashed-in.

The court heard how Lowe, who was 18 at the time, was first caught on camera pulling down fencing which was then used by the mob to throw at police and fuel the fire in a bin outside the fire door.

He was then seen going into the hotel for a short period before confronting officers outside as they came under a barrage of missiles.

In one piece of footage Lowe, of North Street, Darfield, is heard shouting “Oi! Charge!”.

Clarkson Baptiste, defending, told the judge: “He said he went along because there was nothing else to do.

“There was no reason for him to be there. It was the biggest mistake he’s made in his life.”

Lowe was jailed for two years and two months.

Roofer Ben Beardsley, 38, of Hall Gate, Mexborough, was jailed for two years and eights months after Judge Wright watched footage of him in the crowd wearing a Guy Fawkes mask and throwing a missile at officers.

Mr Baptiste, this time defending father-of-two Beardsley, said: “He doesn’t have any political or racist views whatsoever.

“He got caught up in what was going on. He was throwing items that were handed to him.”

Mr Baptiste said he did not bring the mask to the hotel but put it on when someone gave it to him.

The barrister also pointed to the beer bottle his client was seen holding in the footage and said his consumption of alcohol was a contributing factor.

All the defendants admitted violent disorder at previous hearings.