Woman who damaged police car in Cardiff riots sentenced

A woman has been given an 18-month community order after damaging a police car during riots in Cardiff in 2023.

Janine Reffell, 53, was not charged with taking part in the riots in Ely but was verbally abusing officers at one of the cordons on the evening of 22 May, 2023, before damaging a police car.

The disorder spread after friends Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, died when their electric bike crashed minutes after South Wales Police officers had been following the boys.

In Cardiff Magistrates Court, Reffell said she was remorseful for her actions.

The court heard how Reffell from Ely had been drinking that night and arrived at the cordon on Wilson Road just before 23:00, when the riots were taking place on neighbouring Stanway Road.

Alex Orndal, prosecuting, said the 53-year old was among half a dozen people along the cordon and "was shouting at the officers" calling them killers, saying she hoped they "burn to death" and "should be put down".

During the disorder Reffell had a "bottle of alcohol in her hand", with body worn footage showing her lean over the rear windscreen of an already damaged police car and repeatedly hitting the bottle against it until it smashed.

The Peugeot 308 was estimated to have a value of £4,900.

Sat in the dock, Reffell’s defence barrister Nathan Jones said she was "remorseful for her actions" and "appreciates how serious it is", pleading guilty at the first opportunity.

He added that since hearing the language she used on that night she was "mortified".

District Judge Stephen Harmes asked her to stand before handing down her sentence saying: "Ely’s reputation has been blackened," and although it was clearly an "emotion-filled day" that "doesn’t excuse any of the behaviour".

Reffell was given an 18-month community order for criminal damage and ordered to pay a total of £744 in compensation and charges.