Bristol riots: Jail for man who helped set fire to mobile police station during Bristol riots

A 28-year-old man has been jailed for six months after he helped set fire to a mobile police station during the Bristol riots.

Alexander Papadopoulos, of Whitehall in Bristol, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court yesterday (Monday 23 January), after admitting charges of arson and theft.

Footage gathered during the investigation into the riot of Sunday 21 March 2021 showed him helping set fire to a mobile police station including pushing a chair into it to help accelerate the flames.

He also stole a police helmet, which he was also caught on camera wearing as a 'trophy'.

Judge Patrick sentenced him to six months in prison for the arson, and an additional seven days for the theft, to run concurrently.

On sentencing, the judge said his actions had added to the fire which wrecked the mobile police station, and also said he’d taken the police helmet as “a trophy”.

A total of 27 people now have now been jailed for offences committed during the riot, receiving a combined prison sentence of 85 years and seven months.

Detective Superintendent James Riccio said: “The fire this defendant was involved in stoking and accelerating caused catastrophic damage to a community mobile police station and was one of the more significant criminal acts committed on that shameful night of violence.

“The weight of evidence, particularly visual evidence, gathered during this investigation has directly led to this admission of guilt and subsequent prison sentence, which we welcome.”