Rock-chucking Hanley rioter joins dad in prison after he 'completely lost it'
Dad Tyler Marchese has been jailed after he threw rocks at police during the violent disorder in Hanley city centre last month. The 22-year-old threw the missiles with one rock hitting at an officer who was filming the disorder in Town Road on the afternoon of August 3.
Now Marchese has been jailed for 25 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. Prosecutor Dylan Wagg said: "Marchese was seen on body-worn footage to throw multiple rocks directly at the police line on Town Road.
"An officer operating one of the cameras said the defendant threw a rock directly at him at 1.48pm. The rock made contact with his left hand in which he was holding the camera. He suffered a passing moment of pain and discomfort."
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Marchese, of Norris Road, Burslem, was arrested on August 9. He pleaded guilty to violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker.
Jason Holt, mitigating, said: "He found himself at the protest out of pure curiosity. He had arranged for his mum to collect him from Hanley. The way he needed to go was blocked by the police. All the people around him, the police in front of him, he just completely lost it.
"He threw about three stones. One hit the officer. And then he left."
Mr Holt said Marchese lives with his grandparents and helps them with everyday tasks. He has a child and is finding it difficult not being there for his family.
He said Marchese's dad is in the same prison as his client. Mr Holt said: "He has never seen eye to eye with his dad. He doesn't want anything to do with him and is avoiding him in prison."
Mr Holt added: "He just felt so trapped and acted in the way he did."
Jailing Marchese, Judge Graeme Smith said: "You did not intend to protest but became involved out of curiosity. You threw several missiles at the police, at least one made contact. However, you were only involved for a relatively short period of time at the one location."