Grammar schoolgirl, 21, who dropped out of university is jailed for 14 months for attacking police during Bristol ‘Kill The Bill’ riot that saw force vehicles torched
- Rose Lazarus, 21, was filmed attacking officers outside Bridewell Police Station
- She was seen pushing, hitting and kicking shields and threw missiles at vehicles
- Lazarus denied the charge of riot but pleaded guilty to violent disorder at court
- Former grammar schoolgirl of Beverley Road sentenced to 14 months in prison
- Two others, Christopher Hind and Sidney Barnes, also admitted their part in riot
- To date, 20 people have been jailed for a combined 75 years and 11 months
A former grammar schoolgirl has been jailed for 14 months for attacking police officers during the Bristol ‘Kill The Bill’ riot.
Rose Lazarus was captured on camera attacking the line of officers outside Bridewell Police Station on March 21 last year, pushing and hitting their shields and forcefully kicking on multiple occasions.
The 21-year-old was also seen throwing missiles at police vehicles, some of which were later torched by rioters.
Lazarus, of Beverley Road, denied a charge of riot but pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Bristol Crown Court, where she appeared for sentence on Monday (August 8).
Rose Lazarus (pictured), of Beverley Road, denied a charge of riot but pleaded guilty to violent disorder at Bristol Crown Court
Ellen McAnaw, prosecuting, told the court that Lazarus was at the front of the protestors for a considerable amount of time which was filmed on camera.
‘She pushed other people into police,’ she said. ‘She swore at police, she joined in anti-police chanting and she contributed to the atmosphere.’
Helen Law, who defended Lazarus, said her client had attended the protest mindful of the Sarah Everard case, in which 33-year-old Sarah was raped and murdered by Metropolitan Police Officer Wayne Couzens.
She told the court her client was struggling with her mental health at the time of the riot.
‘She has remorse and disgust at her own behaviour. She was struggling from mental illness, struggling from a deeply traumatic life event,’ Miss Law told the court.
‘She does recognize the error of her ways and the shame because of it.’
The court heard that Lazarus, who previously attended South Wiltshire Grammar School For Girls, has been undergoing therapy to help her engage with issues and confront them.
The court also heard that Lazarus had stated a degree at Bristol University but that she left the course in February 2021 after her support network dwindled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Miss Law said her client had gone on to study psychology and sociology at the University of the West of England.
The riot left 20 police officers injured – with one officer seriously wounded with a collapsed lung in hospital after being stamped on in the melee
Lazarus, 21, was sentenced to 14 months in prison after she attacked the line of officers over a sustained period of time during the Bristol ‘Kill The Bill’ riot
‘She is less likely to reoffend if she has the opportunity to continue therapy rather than have her future derailed by one evening in which she acted entirely out of character,’ Miss Law added.
Sentencing her to 14 months in prison, Judge James Patrick said: ‘This was two hours of active offending and encouragement of physical violence towards police.
‘Significant violence was going on around you. You had ample opportunity to leave the scene but you didn’t.’
Christopher Hind, 38, pleaded guilty to violent disorder at the same incident. His case was adjourned pending a probation report, for sentence of September 8.
Last Friday (August 5) Sidney Barnes, 22, from Sussex, admitted a charge of assaulting an emergency worker and was sentenced to a 12-month community order, 870 hours of unpaid work and £250 costs.
To date, 20 people have been jailed for a combined total of 75 years and 11 months for their role in the riot.
To date, 20 people have been jailed for a combined total of 75 years and 11 months for their role in the riot
Detectives launched appeals to find what they believed to be a ‘hardcore of serious criminals’ who infiltrated 3,000 legitimate demonstrators last year
The local Bridewell police station was trashed, 12 police vans were set on fire or damaged, windows were smashed with graffiti sprayed across walls and buildings
Images shared online and by police were released to help identify those who had taken part
Last year, police drew up a list of up to 500 people wanted in connection with the incident
Police and other 999 vehicles were damaged during the chaos in Bristol last year
Police are still searching for people who took part in the riot held in March last year
Detective Superintendent James Riccio said: ‘Three more people have now ultimately admitted their behaviour on the night of 21 March last year was criminal.
‘Their admissions of guilt may well be a result of the compelling evidence investigators have gathered against them, but I also hope it is because they have come to realise their actions went too far.
‘We fully respect the fundamental democratic right to peaceful protest but aggression and violence are unacceptable.’
Last year, police drew up a list of up to 500 people wanted in connection with the incident.
Detectives launched appeals to find what they believed to be a ‘hardcore of serious criminals’ who infiltrated 3,000 legitimate demonstrators protesting the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
Among the thousands who massed at the city’s College Green were members of known anarchist groups, and those hostile to law enforcement.
The riot left 20 police officers injured – with one officer seriously wounded with a collapsed lung in hospital after being stamped on in the melee.
The local Bridewell police station was also trashed, 12 police vans were set on fire or damaged, windows were smashed with graffiti sprayed across walls and buildings.
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