Leicester disorder: Men jailed for part in city unrest

A judge has jailed two men for their parts in recent unrest in East Leicester telling them the city will not tolerate disorder.

Lukman Patel and Akshay Jiva were arrested as part of Operation Energy, a police response to tensions that flared up last month.

Patel had previously admitted possession of a police issue baton and racially abusing a police officer.

Jiva had earlier admitted being involved in a street confrontation.

Major disorder broke out in East Leicester on Saturday 17 September amid tensions involving mainly young men from sections of the Muslim and Hindu communities.

More than 50 people have been arrested in connection with the unrest, which began several weeks before.

At Leicester Magistrates' Court, district judge Nick Watson told both men: "The disorder that occurred in Leicester over the last few weeks is behaviour that the community and the courts will not tolerate.

"We live in a city with many cultures and faiths that have perfectly co-existed for many years.

"We are not going to let people disturb the peace of the law-abiding majority of the population of this city."

Patel, 31, of Homeway Road, Leicester, was jailed for 22 weeks for possession of the baton. He was also jailed for a week and fined £200 for abusing the officer.

Annabel Lenton, prosecuting, said a police officer was on patrol at 17:10 BST on Sunday 18 September as part of Operation Energy.

She said he attempted to drive out of the B&M store car park in Belgrave Road, Leicester, but found a car blocking the exit.

The court heard Patel and another man were with the vehicle and when the officer asked him to move it Patel racially abused him before running off.

He was arrested a short time later and found to have the baton in a bag.

Simon Mears, defending, told the court: "He made a very foolish decision. He felt he was supporting his community. He would say he had gone out to peacefully protest for his community. There was a lack of insight into other religions and other communities."

Mr Mears said Patel had found the baton in the street that day but had not handed it into police because he did not want to be thought to be colluding with officers.

The judge told Patel his explanation was 'totally implausible" at a time of heightened tensions in the city when police were struggling to contain groups intent on causing trouble.

The prosecution said Jiva, 27, of Rotherby Avenue, Leicester, was arrested as part of Operation Energy on 7 September.

The court heard police were called to Down Street in Leicester where Jiva was part of a 10-strong group arguing with two men and trying to provoke a fight.

Ms Lenton said Jiva was brandishing a wooden broom "in the style of a baseball bat" and tried to get to the two men before officers disarmed and detained him.

Perminder Bassi, defending, said Jiva was out drinking with friends and had been provoked.

The court heard Jiva had been convicted of possession of a knife in July 2022 and given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for a year.

Judge Watson jailed him for 14 weeks for the public order offence on 7 September and also activated his suspended sentence telling him: "There can be no excuse for joining the incident as you did.

"This offence was significantly aggravated by being committed in the circumstances of the wider disorder."

A third defendant, Sanket Dansukh, of Mornington Street, Leicester, denied three charges of possession of a knife in Ross Walk on 11 September and one of possessing an offensive weapon - a cricket bat.

The 26-year-old will stand trial in February.

The prosecution dropped charges against Pryanshu Dinesh as it said it had insufficient evidence.

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