Tamworth disorder: Carer among eight people remanded in custody

Bricks and broken glass outside the Holiday Inn Express in Tamworth, Staffordshire Credit: PA

Six men and two women, including a care worker who broadcast a violent protest on social media, were remanded in custody after appearing in connection with disorder in Tamworth.

Among those in court was Mitchell Cleaver from Staffordshire who became the first ever person from the West Midlands to be convicted of riot.

Stafford Crown Court was told care worker Cameron Bell, who has no previous convictions, accepted her guilt on a charge of violent disorder “on the understanding that she was present and live-streamed the matter to her TikTok account”.

Bell, 24, from Tamworth, admitted a single count of violent disorder on Tuesday and was remanded in custody for sentencing in the week commencing October 28 after being told a jail sentence was inevitable.

She appeared in the dock alongside her partner Kyle Barber, also from Tamworth, whose case was adjourned until October 8.

Barber, 24, was not asked to enter a plea to a charge of violent disorder and was remanded in custody.

Cleaver, 25, of Burton-on-Trent, appeared jointly via videolink from HMP Dovegate along with Martin McCluskey, 60, from Tamworth.

Police guarding the Holiday Inn Express in Tamworth a day after it was attacked Credit: Jacob King/PA

Cleaver, wearing a vest, admitted a charge of riot relating to events in Tamworth on August 4, where a hotel containing housing asylum seekers was set on fire, and will be sentenced on October 30.

McCluskey admitted violent disorder and pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.

Judge John Edwards ordered a psychological assessment to be carried out on Cleaver, who has serious learning difficulties and was caught on police drone footage, before sentencing on November 11.

  • After the Riots: How online posts fuelled the flames during unrest in Tamworth, ITV News' Investigations Editor Daniel Hewitt reports

The judge ordered McCluskey to remain in custody until sentencing on October 30.

Tommy McQuaker, 29, of Amington in Tamworth, made a separate videolink appearance from HMP Dovegate.

He admitted violent disorder and pleaded not guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to a police dog, with prosecutors accepting the latter charge should not be proceeded with.

Adjourning McQuaker’s case to November 8, Judge Edwards told him: “I will accede to your barrister’s request for a pre-sentence report but please don’t take it from that that your sentence will be anything other than one of prison.”

Damage caused in Tamworth on August 4 Credit: Jacob King/PA

Simon Orr, 38, from Tamworth, is accused of riot and assaulting a female police officer.

He admitted assault but pleaded not guilty to riot on the grounds he does not accept having a common purpose with others present at the scene.

His case was adjourned for trial in the week commencing January 20.

No pleas were taken from Darren Woodley, 55, also from Tamworth and also charged with violent disorder. He was remanded in custody until next Monday.

Last to appear before the same judge was Aimie Hodgkinson-Hedgecox, who pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

The 37-year-old, from Rugeley, was said to have had “somewhat limited” involvement in the disorder and will reappear for sentence in custody in the week beginning November 4.

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