Teenager who hurled loaded sock at police throughout summer time riots and goaded officers weeps as he’s locked up for 21 months
A teenage boy who threw a sock filled with heavy items at police during the riots in Middlesbrough last summer wept as he was jailed for 21 months.
Ethan Bowes was caught on CCTV throwing an item at two police officers who were standing next to their van on Victoria Road during the riots on August 4 last year.
He was later captured throwing a sock, which had been filled with heavy items, at a line of police officers on Granville Road.
The 19-year-old was seen ‘goading’ officers who were trying to police the violence which had erupted across the town centre, which was part of a wider spate of disorder across England and Northern Ireland related to anti-immigration protests.
Around 320 officers had been taken off normal duties to police the riots that day, with the unrest resulting in bins being set alight, items thrown at the police, and windows of the local university and court buildings smashed.
More than 100 people were arrested following the widespread disorder which broke out across Hartlepool and Middlesbrough over the summer.
Bowes was arrested shortly after the riots and was found to have rocks in his possession. He initially denied the offences, but later pleaded guilty to violent disorder and to the possession of an offensive weapon.
He appeared at Teesside Crown Court via video link from HMP Durham and was visibly upset and wiping his eyes as his barrister, Harry Crowson, said his parents were in court and that they had written references about their son for the judge to read.
Ethan Bowes, 19, wept as he was sent to a young offenders’ institution for 21 months
Bowes was captured at the riots which took place in Middlesbrough in the summer of 2024
Footage captured Bowes throwing items at officers while they stood next to a police van
CCTV footage showed the teenager at the scene of the chaos in the town centre on August 4
He could be seen throwing items at officers and was found to have rocks when arrested
The teen appeared at Teesside Crown Court (pictured) via video link from HMP Durham
Mr Crowson told the court that Bowes has spent over five months on remand, and jail ‘is the last place he expected to be.’
‘He is not used to the prison environment,’ Mr Crowson said. ‘His parents have missed him a great deal.
‘They have additional needs and his foolish actions have deprived his family business of his help. At the time of his arrest, he was coming out of an extraordinary traumatic event that occurred when he was 14.’
The court also heard that Bowes was due to start college and that he had planned to train to be a mental health nurse but ‘that may be parked forever now’.
Judge Tom Mitchell told Bowes: ‘You knew what you did. You knew you were guilty and you should have said that earlier on. You took part in the violence that blighted Middlesbrough.
‘I have no doubt that your autism led you to follow others. You found yourself caught in the maelstrom of violence that day. It doesn’t explain why you chose to throw missiles and taunt the police.
‘The true sons and daughters of Middlesbrough weren’t there – they were out on the streets the next day cleaning up the mess. This community will recover from what happened and it will come back stronger.’
Bowes, of Woodhouse Road in Guisborough, wept as he was sent to a young offenders’ institution for 21 months.
