AS RIOTERS HURLED BRICKS, STONES AND PETROL BOMBS

AS RIOTERS HURLED BRICKS, STONES AND PETROL BOMBS AT POLICE

DURING THE TOTTENHAM RIOTS, 18 YEAR OLD YOUTH GARY POTTER WAS DRAWN

IN BY THE ‘EXCITEMENT’ OF THE OCCASION, A JURY HEARD ON MONDAY.

MR MARK DENNIS, PROSECUTING AT THE OLD BAILEY, SAID THE YOUTH

HAD NOT GONE TO THE BROADWATER FARM ESTATE ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 LAST

YEAR WITH ANY INTENTION OF ATTACKING THE POLICE.

AT FIRST HE WATCHED THE VIOLENT SCENE UNFOLDING BEFORE HIS

EYES MERELY OUT OF CURIOSITY

BUT WHEN HE SPOTTED HIS FRIENDS SHOUTING AND CHARGING

THE POLICE, WHO WERE ALL DRESSED IN RIOT GEAR, HE WAS CAUGHT UP IN

THE DRAMA OF IT ALL AND JOINED IN, MR DENNIS SUGGESTED.

LATER, WHEN ASKED WHY HE WAS ATTACKING THE OFFICERS, HE WAS

ALLEGED TO HAVE REPLIED: ‘EVERYONE ELSE WAS.

‘

POTTER, OF ST MARGARETS ROAD, TOTTENHAM, PLEADED NOT GUILTY

TO TAKING PART IN AN AFFRAY.

INSPECTOR PATRICK CURTIS, 48, DESCRIBED THE MAYHEM THAT

CONFRONTED HIM WHEN HE ARRIVED IN ADAMS ROAD ON THE BROADWATER FARM

ESTATE THAT EVENING.

HE SAW A MOB OF ABOUT 150 YOUTHS – ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF

WHOM WERE BLACK AND THE REST WHITE – CHARGING AT SEVERAL LINES OF

POLICE.

‘THERE WAS THICK BLACK SMOKE ON THE ESTATE AND YOU COULD

SMELL BURNING,’ HE SAID.

HE SAW A CAR AND TWO HOUSES ON FIRE.

ONE OF THE HOUSES WAS GUTTED AND AMONG THE PEOPLE RESCUED FROM THE

BURNING BUILDING WAS AN OLD WOMAN.

CAR JACK HANDLES AND OTHER MISSLES WERE BEING HURLED AT

POLICE.

AND SHIELDS WERE PULLED AWAY FROM OFFICERS AND USED TO

PROTECT THE RIOTERS.

‘OFFICERS WERE BEING STRUCK’, CONTINUED INSPECTOR CURTIS.

‘I

WAS KNOCKED TO THE GROUND AND HAD TO BE REMOVED FOR AWHILE.

‘

LATER A VAN AND MINI MINOR WERE PUSHED INTO THE RANKS.

‘BOTH

WERE ON FIRE.

THE VAN WENT INTO OUR LINES.

WE HAD TO JUMP AWAY’, HE

ADDED.

THE JURY HEARD THAT THE TROUBLE STARTED ABOUT 6.

30 IN THE

EVENING AND WENT ON UNTIL ABOUT MIDNIGHT.

THE TRIAL CONTINUES

ENDS.