Ibrahim Mir, 21, was caught throwing a brick during a Hanley riot after the Southport stabbings but avoids jail with suspended sentence.
The video was near his mosque on Town Road. The video shows he tossed the brick aside, and it didn’t go toward police or anyone else. He then ran off with other guys.
Mir turned himself in on September 28, 56 days after the August 3 riot. He pleaded guilty to violent disorder. The court called Mir a member of the ‘opposing group’ and gave him a 20-month suspended prison sentence, suspended for two years. Others got locked up for that day.
The prosecutor said Mir threw the brick, and it hit a metal rail on Town Road. He was out on bail last month, having turned himself in five months prior.
His lawyer said Mir was law-abiding before August 3. He was starting his third year at university and also worked part-time before the incident.
His lawyer explained that his family supports him a lot. They helped him while he was in custody and still help while he is on bail now. His brother is sick, and Mir had blood tests to see if he could help. He regrets his actions and knows it was wrong; he initially went there peacefully. The balaclava shows involvement, however, and he hopes to make his family proud again.
The Judge noted the Southport attack, in which three girls died. An 18-year-old got life in prison for it. Misinformation spread online after the Southport case, and people shared rumors about the attacker’s background. This led to violent protests all over, including in Hanley.
These protests faced opposing groups, and Mir was in one of those groups. The Judge said people can protest peacefully, but violence is never allowed during these protests or any other time, regardless of the circumstances.
The riot happened near the mosque on Town Road. It was a Saturday, so many people were out. Police were there to keep the groups apart. Some protestors were peaceful, but many were not. Some officers were hurt while keeping the peace. Mir appeared in two CCTV clips, seemingly in a peaceful counter-protest in the first video. There were no attacks or missiles thrown, and Mir had no involvement in violence in said clip.
The Judge stated that the second clip was different. Mir held a brick or rock in the clip. He got rid of it, which could be either throwing or discarding. The prosecution says Mir threw it. It went further than needed, but hit zero people, so no one got hurt from it. He wore a balaclava to hide, apparently.
The Judge accounted for Mir’s decent character. Mir is relatively young, cares for his sick brother, and is a hard worker. His role in the riot was tiny compared to other convicted rioters. The Judge hoped he would make positive progress going forward and that he had made the right decision.
Mir also has to do unpaid work.