What have UK rioters said about their actions in court?

Hundreds of people have now been charged over unrest that broke out across the UK.

Riots and disorder were seen up and down the country after three girls were stabbed and killed at a holiday club in Southport on 29 July. Several towns and cities saw attacks on police and mosques, while businesses were looted.

Nearly 500 people have so far been charged, with at least 73 of those under the age of 18.

Over 120 people have been sentenced so far, with most of those sentenced to a jail term. The longest jail sentence so far is six years, handed to David Wilkinson, 48, of Hull, who admitted violent disorder, attempted arson and racially aggravated criminal damage.

Here, Yahoo News UK rounds up what some of the rioters and their defence teams have said in court as they were sentenced for their crimes.

Prison conditions are ‘exceptionally difficult at the moment’

Dean Groenewald, 32, was jailed for 26 months at Newcastle Crown Court after admitting one count of violent disorder.

Claire Anderson, in mitigation, said her formerly unemployed client had found work while on remand at HMP Hull – and hoped to find more work during his prison sentence because “the conditions in custody are exceptionally difficult at the moment”.

Anderson said Groenewald got “carried away” when he threw a paving stone in the “general direction” of police.

‘I kept balaclava on because I’m an introvert’

Tom Sedbury, 29, will be sentenced at Inner London Crown Court in October after he brought a bag of knives to an anti-racism demonstration in London.

During a police interview the following day, Sedbury said he saw a protest while on his way to a friend’s house and deliberately kept his balaclava on as he did not want to be caught on camera because he’s an introvert.

Sedbury, who told police he did not understand why he needed to remove his balaclava, told police he collects knives because he is fascinated by them – but decided to sell them due to his waning interest.

Dad embroiled in riot ‘while buying meat for dinner from Aldi’

Father-of-three Trevor Lloyd, 49, was jailed for three years after he became embroiled with a mob that stormed the Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham.

Richard Adams, defending, urged the judge to show restraint as Lloyd was only supposed to be in Aldi buying meat for his Sunday dinner when he joined the riot.

Adams said: “The defendant's intention that day had been no more than to visit Aldi, which joins the hotel, with his partner, and seeing the demonstration he made the foolish error of deciding to go and have a look.

“What was first a look became a protracted stay. His partner had the good sense to move away, and he of course remained at the scene... It was simply to buy a piece of meat for dinner. That, he accepts, he was caught up in it.”

Home renovator attended riot out of ‘nosiness’

Nathan Palmer, a self-employed home renovator, was jailed for two years and eight months for violent disorder.

Palmer grabbed a police shield and passed it around during a riot in Rotherham.

He was said to be on the “front line” of a large mob which became increasingly violent towards police – despite attending the protest out of “nosiness” after he saw details on social media.

Wife ‘wholly ashamed’ after being arrested to be with husband

Kelly Wildego, 41, was handed a suspended sentence after she charged at police officers and called them “f****** c****” during a demonstration in Whitehall this month.

Inner London Crown Court had heard that Wildego, who is “wholly ashamed” of her actions, deliberately got herself arrested to be with her husband, who was earlier detained by police.

She was given a suspended sentence for assaulting an emergency worker because she is a full-time carer for her 13-year-old son.

‘Embarrassed’ rioter is ‘probably still immature’

Tom Neblett, 20, was jailed for 30 months after he repeatedly launched bricks at police from on top of a van in Southport last month.

Lloyd Morgan, defending, said Neblett, who cried during his interview, was “embarrassed and ashamed” – and highlighted his immaturity.

Morgan said: “His pre-sentence report from the Probation Service says he is probably still immature but notes he is genuinely remorseful...

“He acknowledges what he did was inexcusable and I submit it was out of character.”

Engineer ‘only went to riot after receiving text from friend’

Dane Freeman, 25, was jailed for 26 months after he launched bricks at police during a riot outside a hotel for asylum seekers in Manchester last month.

Dan Gaskell, defending Freeman, said he had finished work, visited the gym and was not motivated by racial hatred or social media but only went to the asylum hotel after receiving a text from a friend down there already.

Jailing him Judge Patrick Field KC, said: “This is, sadly, yet another example of a young man that has very little acquaintance with the criminal courts becoming involved in unacceptable public violence without any explanation at all.”

Rioter ‘decided to join in’ after drinking

David Chadwick, 36, was jailed for two years and eight months after being part of a “violent mob” outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Rotherham.

Chadwick, who was filmed twice pouring the contents of a can through a police van window onto the police driver, said in a letter to the court that he had been drinking nearby and “decided to join in”.

The court heard: “I have let myself down, I have let my family and friends down, and I’ve let my whole community down.”