Man who took toddler son to Rotherham hotel riot jailed

  • Reddy was filmed walking past a line of riot officers carrying his son

A father-of-two who took his toddler to a riot has been jailed.

Mason Reddy, 24, was seen throwing bricks and rocks at a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham, while shouting threats.

He was also witnessed throwing missiles at officers, hitting out at riot shields and cheering rioters who were lighting a fire at the Holiday Inn Express in Manvers during the incident on 4 August.

A journalist also said they saw Reddy shouting a racial slur while carrying a boy aged around two in his arms.

Footage showed him holding the boy while walking in front of a line of riot police as a fire burned in the background.

Mason Reddy. Credit: South Yorkshire Police

Five officers identified Reddy, from Barnsley, by his "distinctive clothing", odd shoes and the fact that he had a child and pram with him, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

In mitigation, the court heard Reddy, who has no previous convictions, had taken his son with him as he was intending to protest peacefully.

He admitted violent disorder and was jailed for three years.

Also jailed on Thursday was a man whose son had already been sentenced for his part in the riot.

Stephen Roughley, 44, was locked up for two years and eight months after admitting violent disorder. His son Kenzie Roughley, 18, became the first person to be sentenced over the Rotherham disorder last month.

From left, Stephen Roughley, Regan Urruty Dever and Daniel Dicks. Credit: South Yorkshire Police

Sheffield Crown Court heard Stephen Roughley, from Pontefract, initiated chants of “get them out” and made “disparaging remarks of a sexual nature to police officers” before throwing a missile at a police van.

Another man, who grabbed and pushed riot shields while at the front of a mob, was jailed for two years.

Regan Urruty Dever, 22, of Doncaster, was only there for 20 minutes and had been to Tesco and for a katsu curry beforehand.

Daniel Dicks, 33, of Goldthorpe, who pushed a shopping trolley into the path of a police van, ripped up fence posts to be used as missiles and was part of a crowd chanting racist remarks was jailed for two years and eight months.

About 50 men have so far been jailed for their parts in the Rotherham disorder.