Grandmother spared jail after 'shameful' family day out with grandson in pram at riots in Manchester

  • Emma Sweeney reports on Vanessa Smith's sentencing at Manchester Crown Court

A judge told a grandmother she should be "deeply ashamed of her behaviour" after going to a riot with her daughter and baby grandson in a pram.

Footage captured Vanessa Smith, 42 and her 21-year-old daughter, with her 20-month old son in a pram, throwing water at a police officer outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Newton Heath in Manchester July. The court heard how the three generations of the Smith family ended up among around the 50-70 strong crowd that had gathered outside the hotel.

The riot happened amid nationwide unrest following the stabbing to death of three girls in Southport, at a Taylor Swift themed dance class at the start of the school holidays.

Mother and daughter had happened upon the unrest, which followed misinformation online about the identity of the suspect in the Southport attack just 2 days before.

Tributes left to the three girls stabbed to death in Southport that sparked violent disorder Credit: ITV Granada

Judge Patrick Field KC who had sentenced her granddaughter, describing Nevey Smith's actions as "disturbing" and labelling her “misguided, naive and immature”.

He said: "It’s a disturbing feature that you chose to join it [the riot] with your child with you. It’s a disturbing part of this case. What were you thinking?"

The judge also told the single mum that she had a “lot to learn” and “quite a lot of growing up to do”.

She was handed a community order and made to attend reviews at a women’s problem-solving court, and carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

Nevey Smith was described as 'naive and misguided' by Judge and spared jail Credit: MEN Media

The same judge was in court to sentence grandmother Vanessa Smith, a mum-of-three with two other children aged 16 and 11, who handed herself in to police and pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

During the disorder, a bus was attacked and an asylum seeker being escorted into the hotel was injured by flying glass.

The prosecution told how Vanessa Smith was seen as part of the group and threw liquid towards police officers.

Judge Field told her that she had been 'wholly misguided' in her involvement in the mob and the court heard how she had suffered the loss of her employment at a Failsworth café as a result.

Vanessa Smith, of Farnborough Road in Failsworth, was sentenced to an 18 month community order, 100 hours of unpaid work, 15 rehabilitation activity days, and ordered to make a payment of £150 to the cost of proceedings.

Vanessa Smith was sentenced just days after her 21-year-old daughter was hauled before the same judge Credit: MEN Media

The judge accepted the defence's submission that it was an 'isolated incident and out of character', with the throwing of water being the height of her contribution to the day's chaos.

But he called her behaviour 'mistaken, ill-advised', and' completely unacceptable'.

"You should be duly ashamed, particularly as there were children present - your grandson was present. I'm confident that what we've just seen and heard about is not the example you would want to hold up for your children and grandchildren," added the judge.

Vanessa Smith sighed as she was spared jail, as Judge Field said: "You've received a merciful sentence, don't let me down."

The judge told Smith that if she breached the order, she’d be returned to court.

"I don’t forget a case or a face", he told her… "and if you return to court you can be punished for that breach."

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