Hardwood timber A defendant being sentenced for her role in the Ely riots three years ago became tearful in the dock on Wednesday as her connection to a teenage boy whose death sparked the riots was revealed to the court. Jasmine Smith – who the court heard on Wednesday was cousins with Harvey Evans who, alongside Kyrees Sullivan, died in May 2023 after a bike they were riding crashed on Snowden Road in Ely – joined in with mass riots in the Cardiff suburb after police were wrongly blamed for the boys’ deaths. Matthew Cobbe, prosecuting, told the court on Wednesday how Smith threw two missiles later on in the evening of May 22, 2023. She was seen shortly before 8pm approaching the front of the cordon which had been erected by police and she witnessed the aggression of others and told an officer: “You want to kill another kid tonight, I’m here.”
Smith said she had a poor recollection of the riots due to intoxication. Sali Harmes, for Smith, told the court Harvey was Smith’s cousin. At that point Smith became tearful in the dock. Jordan Webster outside court(Image: John Myers)
Ms Harmes said of Smith: “Her emotions were heightened due to what happened to him [Harvey].
She saw Harvey and Kyrees’ mothers were crying at the scene, but didn’t know what happened to them. After it was announced they had died, she became swept up in the mob instead of dealing with her grief.”
Smith is among 30 defendants being sentenced over a two-week period at Cardiff Crown Court. Also up for sentencing on Wednesday was McKenzie Pring, Jamie Jones, Jayden Westcott, Lianna Tucker, Keiron Beccano, and Jordan Webster. Wednesday’s hearing heard many of the defendants, who threw stones and missiles at police, also knew Kyrees and Harvey. Pring was described as a “good friend” of the boys, and spoke to one of their mothers while trying to “support people”, but when information seeped through and others began challenging the police, Pring threw three missiles.
Jayden Westcott outside court(Image: WalesOnline)
Tucker was said to have been confrontational and was heard saying: “Get your f****** hands off me.” She was one of the last to move back, picked up items off the ground and handed them to fellow defendant Kyle Telemaque. She was also seen picking up items from the floor and throwing them. The defendant told one officer: “You daft c***, keep away from me.”
Tucker later told police in her interview she thought the police had killed Kyrees and Harvey. She said: “I heard feds, I went up by Wilson where the boys had died. I was told by everyone it was the feds who killed them, and did something I shouldn’t have and joined in. I thought it was you guys who had killed them.”
Westcott was seen dragging a trolley and encouraging others during the riot.
He was arrested and interviewed, answered “no comment” and made the assertion “the police killed my mates”. Lianna Tucker leaves Cardiff Crown Court(Image: John Myers)
His mobile phone was seized and examined. Messages were found on the phone, in which he agreed “feds going to die tonight”.
He also said he had “slit one’s face”. The trials of the rioters at Cardiff Crown Court last year heard police officers set up a cordon to protect the scene. As time went on a larger proportion of the crowd became hostile towards the police with that hostility escalating to the point the police were facing a flat-out riot. Hundreds of officers were directed to assist colleagues as missiles were thrown from the crowd including bottles, bricks, plasterboard, and fireworks. Jamie Jones at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court in 2024 after the Ely riots(Image: John Myers)
Cars parked in the street were rolled over and set alight, doors were taken off their hinges and thrown at officers, mattresses were set alight, and petrol bombs were thrown with one police officer engulfed in flames. Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke adjourned sentencing until Wednesday, June 17 and Thursday, June 18.
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