He previously told a court getting involved in the Hull city centre rioting last year was ‘the stupidest thing I ever did’
A looter who got a very welcome birthday present when he narrowly avoided being jailed after serious rioting in Hull city centre has again managed to stay out of prison – despite breaching his suspended sentence. Father-of-two Josh Hill became one of the few people arrested after the mass disorder to be spared prison – but now, after his birthday stroke of good luck back in March, he has again defied the odds to be given what could be his last chance to stay out of custody.
During the rioting, he took advantage of the violent scenes of trouble to go into the Lush store, grab a bag and help himself to as much as he could carry, Hull Crown Court heard. Hill, 27, of Hull, admitted breaching a suspended prison sentence imposed for an offence of burglary at the Lush store on August 3 last year.
At a hearing on March 17 – Hill’s birthday – he was given a 10-month suspended prison sentence and 200 hours’ unpaid work. But he was brought back to court for breaching the order on June 16 and 23 by failing to attend for sessions of his unpaid work.
The court heard that he had completed some of the hours but he still had 137 hours remaining. He faced having the suspended sentence activated but, in the end, he was given another chance to comply – with 10 extra hours added.
Judge John Thackray KC warned him: “I am unlikely to give you another chance next time. Get the hours done.”
At the March hearing, the court heard that a large-scale demonstration took place in Hull city centre, similar to protests that had been organised nationally after the deaths of three girls in Southport.
Police went to fights in King Edward Street and they were called to disorder outside the Royal Hotel in Ferensway, where asylum seekers were living at the time. The disorder spilled out to the cenotaph area opposite the hotel.
There was also disorder at a tyre business in the Milky Way area and fires were set as well as cars being damaged. A number of shops in Jameson Street were targeted by looters, including Lush, Shoezone, O2 and Greggs.
Hill was among those who “took advantage” of the disturbances that were going on in the city and he went into the Lush store. He was seen picking up a paper bag and “filling it with as much as he could” before leaving.
The total bill to Lush during the disorder, including extensive damage, loss of stock, the interruption to business and increased insurance, had been put at more than £31,000, the court heard.
Ben Hammersley, mitigating, told the earlier hearing that Hill pleaded guilty at an early stage. He had only a few previous convictions and none for dishonesty offences. He acted out of character.
“He has no excuse for what he did,” said Mr Hammersley. “He went in to see what was going on and he says that he got carried away. He wishes to apologise to those affected and he wishes that he could turn the clock back.”
Hill had said: “It was the stupidest thing I ever did.” Alcohol was a factor at the time in disinhibiting him and causing him to show “moronic behaviour” at a time when his life was “a bit of a shambles” anyway.