Man remanded in custody after police van torched during Bristol protest
A man has been remanded in custody accused of attempting to set fire to a police van during the first Kill the Bill protest in Bristol.
Ryan Roberts, 25, appeared before Bristol Magistrates' Court accused of attempted arson with intent to endanger life "by placing a lit item under the vehicle to endanger the life of a police officer".
He is accused of two charges of criminal damage by allegedly smashing the windows of Bridewell police station and those of another police vehicle.
Roberts also faces a charge of violent disorder and two charges of assaulting a police officer.
All six charges relate to alleged rioting in Bristol city centre on March 21 that saw vehicles set on fire and officers attacked outside Bridewell police Station.
The defendant, of Goodhind Street, Easton, spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth. He did not enter any pleas to the charges.
John Haythorn, defending, applied for bail on behalf of his client, which was refused.
District Judge Lynne Matthews remanded Roberts into custody and ordered him to appear before Bristol Crown Court on May 5.
She said that the arson charge could only be dealt with at the crown court and therefore she was sending the other linked matters to the same court.
In total, 29 people have now been arrested in connection with the riot that saw 500 people march on Bridewell police station and set fire to police vehicles.
Since the first demonstration, there have been three other protests in the city against the Government's proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
Protests on March 23 and 26 ended in clashes between the police and protesters.
A further demonstration on March 30 passed off peacefully.
The proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill would give police in England and Wales more power to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including those deemed too noisy or a nuisance, with those convicted liable to fines or jail terms.
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