Trial starts over police station petrol bomb attack

A MAN has admitted having petrol bombs and carrying out an arson attack at Canning Circus Police Station during last summer's riots in Nottingham.

Curtis Lee Dejean, 19, of Welstead Avenue, Aspley, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday.

He admitted unlawfully and maliciously having in his possession or under his control an explosive substance, namely petrol bombs, on August 9. He also pleaded guilty to arson being reckless as to whether life is endangered on August 9 after the police station was damaged by fire.

His pleas come as 16 other people stand trial today for an offence of riot in connection with the same incident.

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They are accused under the Public Order Act 1986 of using unlawful violence for a common purpose when present together being 12 or more persons in total.

It is alleged they used or threatened unlawful violence for the common purpose and the conduct of them all, taken together, was such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety.

Thirteen of them also deny violent disorder. Six of them are accused of arson with intent to endanger life after allegedly damaging by fire Canning Circus Police Station, and arson being reckless as to whether life is endangered on the same date.

One of the accused denies perverting the course of justice between February 15 and February 24.

It is alleged he told a woman to speak to another woman to encourage her to withdraw her police statement in connection with the petrol bomb attack at the station.

A jury has been sworn in to try the case today. The trial will last up to six weeks.

During August 8 and 9 damage was caused to several city centre shops, cars and police stations. It came as similar incidents occurred in cities across the country after a riot broke out in Tottenham, London.

There was previously a dispute over whether the summer unrest in Notts could be classed as riots.

Notts Police Authority had described them as "disturbances" but elsewhere they had been reported as riots.