Rioter shouts ‘I’m a child’ as he’s arrested for throwing brick at police

Cole Stewart, 18, wailed 'I'm a child, I'm a child' as he was arrested.

It didn’t take long for this baby-faced rioter to turn into a cry-baby one.

Cole Stewart, 18, was seen swaggering around a car park while hurling bricks at police who had been deployed to quell potential unrest in Darlington on Monday evening.

But the smirk as he celebrated each strike was swiftly wiped off when a small group of riot cops broke ranks and charged at him.

Stewart, who lives in the town, can be heard wailing ‘I’m a child, I’m a child’ as they pile on top of him and take him into custody.

The teenager was later charged with violent disorder, which he pleaded guilty to at Teesside Magistrates’ Court yesterday, and remanded in custody ahead of sentencing tomorrow.

Assistant Chief Constable Richie Allen said: ‘Cole Stewart attended the area on Monday night with the sole intention of causing serious harm to our community and their property.

‘He engaged in vile and destructive behaviour and attacked the police officers who were deployed to protect members of the public. 

‘As we have previously said, we will not tolerate criminality and violent disorder in our communities.’

Brandon Welch, also of Darlington, was charged with violent disorder after he allegedly used racist language and encouraged people to smash up property.

The 18-year-old did not enter a plea when he appeared before magistrates’ on Wednesday.

He was also remanded in custody and will appear at Teesside Crown Court on Wednesday, August 28.

Mr Allen said: ‘I reiterate to anybody who commits these types of acts, we will tirelessly look for you and deal with you robustly.

‘This will always be Durham Constabulary’s approach when dealing with incidents such as this.

‘Our investigation remains ongoing, and we will strive for justice on behalf of our communities – they do not deserve to be intimidated by this behaviour.’

Nearly 500 people have been arrested relating to rioting in the wake of the killing of three little girls in Southport, the National Police Chiefs’ Council said.

The policing body also confirmed on Thursday afternoon that 149 charges had been brought so far, with the figure set to ‘continue to rise significantly’.

National Police Chiefs’ Council chairman Gavin Stephens said: ‘Officers and police staff are working flat out to progress investigations, acting on the mountain of intelligence and evidence gathered over the last week to secure convictions.’

He added: ‘We must not underestimate the physical and mental impact on officers facing the violent scenes from the past week. The criminal justice system is recognising the gravity of these offences to put those responsible behind bars.’

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